ECONOMY 

IN  THE 


/  / 


/  '  (  ) 

WITH 


SOME  SUGGESTIONS 


UPON  THE  PROPOSED 


SUBSTITUTION  OB  COAL  BOR  WOOD  UPON  RAILROADS. 


vr\  o  "r  KA  — \  c>  v\  ^  A  V\  ■*%  “t  o  "  V\  <sl  *v  **> 


•  O  #  — 


BOSTON: 

PRINTED  BY  BAZIN  AND  CHANDLER,  8T  CORNHILL. 

1857. 


Vreoyra,\jUfr,6S 


sr 

a 

r 


o 

rf 


O 

o 

& <" 

rc 


6 


COMBUSTION  OF  FUEL. 


In  presenting  to  public  attention  the  subject  of  economy  in 
fuel,  it  is  not  proposed  to  attempt  any  scientific  discussion  of 
principles,  but  simply  to  offer  some  few  results  of  practical  ex¬ 
perience.  With  these  are  also  submitted  the  plans  and  draw¬ 
ings  of  the  improved  furnace,  from  which  the  results  have 
been  obtained.  The  experiments  were  fairly  tried  and  attended 
with  uniform  success.  The  improved  construction  demands  no 
additional  outlay,  and  effects  a  saving  in  the  generality  of  in¬ 
stances  of  fully  one-half  the  amount  of  fuel  usually  required 
for  the  same  work. 

The  ground  covered  by  our  new  method  is  extensive,  em¬ 
bracing  the  economizing  of  coals  or  wood,  in  all  the  different 
forms  in  which  they  are  used.  The  principles  involved  are 
alike  applicable  to  locomotive,  marine  and  stationary  boilers, 
to  the  puddling  and  common  house  furnace,  and  can  be  adapted 
with  slight  alterations  to  furnaces  already  in  use  as  well  as  to 
new  constructions. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  results  of  the  various  successful 
experiments  of  our  system,  during  years  of  trial  and  under 
the  most  rigorous  tests,  set  forth  in  the  report  of  Mr.  Eliot, 
Capt.  Swift  and  Mr.  Hale,  hereto  annexed,  are  taken  from  the 
certificates  of  persons  well  able  to  judge  of  its  merits.  Many 
of  them  are  from  scientific  persons  and  others  of  the  high¬ 
est  authority,  from  the  superintendents  of  machine  shops, 
manufacturing  and  railroad  corporations. 

A  contract  with  the  United  States  Government,  conditioned 
upon  the  saving  of  a  certain  amount  of  fuel  at  the  Navy  Yard 
at  Charlestown,  has  been  acknowledged  by  the  department  at 
Washington  to  have  been  fulfilled.  It  was  stipulated  that  by 

K>  'Z-'Z*  Z 


4 


means  of  our  curves  applied  to  their  furnaces  twenty-five  per 
cent,  of  the  quantity  of  fuel  usually  consumed  should  be  saved. 
After  a  trial  of  three  years,  and  saving  with  twelve  boilers 
fifteen  thousand  dollars,  we  have  received  from  the  Government 
our  compensation. 

The  most  important  uses,  to  which  the  improvements  in  steam 
of  the  Franklin  Locomotive  Company  can  be  applied,  are  the 
present  requirements  of  economy  in  the  use  of  fuel  on  our  rail¬ 
roads  and  in  steamers.  It  is  to  this  object  that  the  public 
attention  is  more  especially  invited.  But  there  can  be  no  more 
important  consideration  in  our  usual  avocations  connected  with 
steam,  than  to  provide  for  the  safety  as  well  as  comfort  of  the 
traveller,  and  at  the  same  time  to  protect  the  engineer  and 
fireman  from  the  great  risks  to  which  they  are  exposed.  By 
closing  the  front  of  the  furnaces,  introducing  the  air  from  the 
opposite  end  of  the  locomotive,  or  from  the  rear  of  a  stationary 
boiler,  the  ash-pit  may  be  kept  closed,  the  fire-room  or  foot¬ 
board  kept  comparatively  cool,  and  the  water  prevented,  in  case 
of  accidents  on  ship-board,  from  putting  out  the  fires. 

Although  our  new  modes  of  application  are  calculated  to 
evolve  the  highest  possible  measure  of  heat  from  all  the  varieties 
of  fuel,  there  are  circumstances  which  entitle  them  to  especial 
appreciation  at  this  particular  period.  Wood  has  been  growing 
more  and  more  expensive.  Our  New  England  forests  are 
becoming  rapidly  exhausted,  to  the  great  prejudice  of  future 
generations,  and  without  benefit  to  our  own.  Coal  on  loco¬ 
motives  is  shortly  destined  to  take  its  place,  and  the  greater 
capacity  of  coal  for  producing  heat  is  quite  as  obvious  in  this 
application  as  in  any  other.  A  ton  of  coal  is  generally  con¬ 
sidered  quite  equal  in  heating  power  to  two  cords  of  wood,  and 
one  cord,  cut  and  prepared  for  the  tender,  costs  on  the  average 
as  much  as  that  quantity  of  coal.  Coke,  as  used  in  England, 
would  be  too  expensive  for  this  country  west  of  the  Alleghany, 
as  we  have  no  suitable  coal  beds  sufficiently  accessible  for 
economical  use  in  this  form.  Locomotives  on  English  roads 
will  not  furnish,  therefore,  models  for  our  purposes,  and  new 
forms  and  arrangements  must  be  contrived  for  the  combustion 
of  such  coal  as  we  can  economically  employ.  In  the  introduc¬ 
tion,  of  changes,  which  must  of  course  be  gradual,  energetic 
measures  to  stimulate  invention,  and  thus  secure  the  best 
models,  would  seem  the  part  of  wisdom. 

It  may  be  asked  if  coal  is  more  economical  than  wood  for 
railroad  purposes,  why  it  had  not  been  already  substituted. 
The  reason  generally  assigned  has  been  a  fear  of  burning  out 


5 


the  fire-box,  the  increased  heat  in  a  contracted  space  being 
considered  destructive  to  the  tubes  and  metal  surfaces’.  We 
consider  this  objection  entirely  obviated  in  our  arrangement  by 
slower  combustion  in  a  larger  chamber  and  by  the  application 
of  heated  air,  affording  a  higher  evaporation  with  one-half  the 
usual  amount  of  fuel. 

The  prominent  point  to  be  gained  in  all  attempted  improve¬ 
ments  in  this  direction,  is  to  secure  from  the  fuel  in  generating 
steam  or  other  useful  applications,  all  the  heating  power  of 
which  it  is  capable.  It  is  well  known  that  in  theory  the  great¬ 
est  possible  evaporation  of  water  by  a  given  quantity  of  coal, 
is  more  than  as  much  again  as  that  usually  realized  in  the  com¬ 
mon  processes. 

The  annexed  plans  will  serve  to  explain  more  clearly  than 
any  verbal  deseription,  the  application  of  our  principle  to  secure 
a  nearer  approval  to  perfection  than  has  been  as  yet  attained 
by  the  methods  now  in  use. 

In  Plan  A.  is  presented  the  commonly-used  American  wood- 
burning  Engine. 

In  Plan  B.  an  English  Coke  Locomotive,  in  which  it  is  cus¬ 
tomary  to  use  Coke  and  Coal  together  ;  but  generally  without 
any  greater  economy  than  that  of  the  wood-burning  Engine. 

In  Plan  C.  will  be  observed  the  construction  of  our  proposed 
Locomotive  furnace,  with  about  two-thirds  the  usual  number  of 
tubes.  It  has  a  recess  boiler  with  combustion  chamber.  For  the 
greater  prevention  of  smoke,  to  secure  more  perfect  ignition,  as 
also  for  other  purposes  hereafter  to  be  more  fully  explained,  the 
plan  represents  our  improved  mode  of  supplying  the  fire  with 
air  already  heated.  This  latter  improvement,  applied  to  the 
boilers  of  the  government  at  the  Navy  Yard,  to  those  exhibited 
at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  New  York,  and  to  Locomotives  on 
several  railroads,  has  been  attended  with  marked  success. 

In  Plan  D.  is  represented  a  puddling  furnace  now  under  trial 
in  Belgium. 

Plan  E.  is  a  stationary  boiler,  of  the  same  model  as  one  used 
for  experiments  at  Canton  in  this  State,  under  the  general 
supervision  of  the  Scientific  School  at  Cambridge.  The  report 
of  Professors  Horsford  and  Eustis  is  submitted. 

Plan  G.  is  a  house  furnace,  with  the  adaptation  of  some  of 
the  leading  features  of  our  proposed  system.  A  furnace  upon 
this  model,  in  operation  during  the  past  winter,  has  yielded  an 
unusual  amount  of  heat  at  comparatively  little  expense. 

The  application  of  our  system  to  Locomotives  has  been 
already  explained  in  connection  with  the  Plan.  The  tubes 


6 


diminished  in  number  and  somewhat  shortened,  but  not  so  as 
to  diminish  the  effective  surface  exposed  to  the  fire  a  recess 
boiler,  the  introduction  of  the  curves  for  the  retention  and  re¬ 
verberation  of  the  flame,  and  the  admission  of  air  from  the 
anterior  part  of  the  Engine,  by  means  of  a  feeder,  which,  pass¬ 
ing  through  the  combustion  chamber,  delivers  it  to  the  fire 
at  a  high  temperature,  are  its  principal  characteristics. 

By  this  combined  arrangement,  the  combustion  in  most  cases 
is  without  smoke,  and  should  any  chance  to  escape  the  bars,  it 
is  destroyed  by  the  heated  air  of  the  combustion  chamber, 
which  consequently  enters  the  tubes  pure  from  lamp  black. 
The  fuel  is  thus  converted  into  its  most  useful  purity,  and  the 
points  of  heat  passing  up  and  down  are  presented  to  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  water,  producing  the  highest  possible  evaporation. 

Slow  combustion  has  long  been  the  subject  of  discussion  and 
careful  experiment  in  Europe,  and  has  been  extensively  intro¬ 
duced  into  practical  use  as  affording  the  highest  evaporation. 

Mr.  Wicksteed,  whose  valuable  reports  upon  our  system  are 
worthy  of  attentive  consideration,  told  us  that  he  had  brought 
slow  combustion  to  such  perfection,  by  care  in  firing,  that  the 
smoke  would  come  into  the  stoke-hole  through  the  door  of 
the  furnace.  He  has  long  been  regarded  as  the  highest  author¬ 
ity  by  the  Engineers  of  the  Admiral ity,  and  others  interested  in 
the  subject,  and  considered  to  have  economized  fuel  beyond  any 
other  person  in  England.  He  gave  this  as  a  reason  why  we 
should  not  probably  exceed  him  in  economy.  So  assured  was 
Mr.  Lloyd,  of  the  Admirality,  of  this,  that  he  agreed  to  make 
Mr.  Wicksteed’s  certificate  of  any  gain  we  should  accomplish  over 
his  results,  the  test  of  our  superiority  of  arrangement  without 
farther  trial ;  saying  that  Mr.  Wicksteed  had  beaten  any  thing 
which  they  had  been  able  to  do  in  England  by  fifteen  per  cent 
It  will  be  seen  by  these  tables  and  reports,  herewith  submitted, 
of  our  experiments  in  England,  that  credit  is  given  us  for 
thirty-seven  and  one-half  per  cent,  over  the  average  amount  of 
saving. 

With  the  ordinary  mode  of  construction,  however,  in  order 
to  obtain  any  great  measure  of  success  from  slow  combustion, 
extreme  watchfulness  on  the  part  of  the  fireman  is  absolutely 
essential,  and  the  results  in  consequence  have  not  as  invari¬ 
ably  affor  ded  satisfaction,  as  the  theory  had  led  the  parties 
interested  to  anticipate.  In  one  establishment,  visited  not  long 
since  in  England,  the  annual  compensation  of  the  principal  fire¬ 
man  was  twelve  hundred  dollars,  a  salary  unusually  large  in  com¬ 
parison  with  the  general  rates  in  that  country,  and  paid  for  the 


7 


express  purpose  of  securing  increased  attention  and  judgment  in 
this  particular.  He  had  the  supervision  of  ten  boilers,  and  the 
great  saving  of  fuel,  with  the  increased  development  of 
power,  fully  justified  the  wisdom  of  the  expenditure.  Much 
remains  to  be  accomplished  in  this  same  direction  among  our¬ 
selves,  and  this  will  greatly  be  promoted  by  the  adoption  of  our 
svstem.  Less  attention,  and  that  more  regular  is  required  by 
it  than  by  any  other  known  to  us,  and  the  fireman  might  almost 
be  guided  day  after  day  as  to  the  proper  times  of  firing  by  the 
clock,  the  damper  being  lower,  the  steam  more  regular,  and 
the  slow  combustion  more  perfectly  uniform. 

A  serious  objection  to  the  ordinary  construction  of  the 
furnace  is  that  the  flame  passes  too  rapidly.  More  time  is 
needed  for  intermingling  its  gases,  and  it  is  only  by  its  reten- 
*  tion  and  reverberation,  heated  by  currents  of  hot  air,  that  all  the 
valuable  products  of  combustion  are  secured,  and  none  permit¬ 
ted  to  escape  by  the  chimney. 

With  the  usual  marine  furnace,  it  is  generally  admitted,  that 
to  gain  any  high  degree  of  speed,  requires  rapid  combustion 
and  a  constant  stirring  of  the  fires  ;  thus  creating  certainly 
more  heat  for  the  boilers,  but  much  more  for  the  stack.  The 
necessary  consumption  of  fuel  increases  in  a  much  greater  ratio 
than  the  speed.  This  is  in  some  measure  owing  to  the  increased 
resistance  of  the  water,  but  mainly  to  the  waste  of  fuel  from 
excessive  agitation.  This  great  addition  to  the  expense,  out 
of  all  proportion  to  the  object  accomplished,  is  very  discouraging. 
We  feel  assured  that  by  slow  combustion  upon  our  system,  this 
serious  obstacle  in  the  way  of  rapidity  of  movement,  both  on 
the  water  and  the  land,  can  be  in  a  great  degree  surmounted. 

Too  much  importance  cannot  be  attached  to  the  superiority  of 
our  system  over  every  other  in  preventing  smoke.  The  smoke 
which  escapes  the  chimney  is  for  the  most  part  carbonic  oxide, 
and  with  it  mingled  fine  solid  particles  of  coal.  This  is  pure 
loss.  Could  it  be  consumed,  it  would  yield  much  additional 
heat.  Besides  being  an  extravagant  waste  of  fuel,  smoke  is 
disagreeable,  many  ways  injurious  to  articles  of  value,  and 
highly  prejudicial  to  health.  To  consume  the  smoke,  it  is  ne¬ 
cessary  that  it  should  be  supplied  freely  with  oxygen,  and  that 
there  should  be  sufficient  intensity  of  heat  to  ignite  it  when  so 
supplied. 

The  great  error  in  all  the  smoke-consuming  furnaces  here¬ 
tofore  produced,  has  been  in  bringing  the  fresh  air  cold  to 
supply  the  requisite  supply  of  oxygen  for  the  smoke,  instead  of 
applying  it  already  heated.  Introduced  by  our  method  through 


8 


•  ingeniously  contrived  apertures,  which  cause  gyrations  better 
understood  in  actual  experiment  than  by  any  attempt  at  de¬ 
scription,  time  is  allowed  for  the  air  to  mingle  with  the  carbonic 
oxide  to  saturation,  and  the  gasses  retarded  within  and  under 
the  boilers,  are  ignited  and  inflamed  before  reaching  the  end 
of  the  tubes.  There  can  be  no  doubt  but  near  one-half  of  the 
oxygen  passes  through  our  common  furnaces  without  entering 
into  combination  with  the  carbon  and  hydrogen  in  the  fuel. 
Every  pound  of  coal  requires  two  pounds  of  oxygen  for  its 
saturation  ;  but  owing  to  the  rapid  draughts  of  furnaces  in 
general,  about  four  pounds  of  oxygen  for  every  pound  of  fuel 
consumed,  passes  through  the  furnace.  By  the  slow  and  perfect 
combustion  under  our  method,  the  flame  is  kept  abundantly 
supplied  with  oxygen,  and  sufficiently  retarded  for  all  the 
useful  particles  of  the  fuel  to  be  applied  to  the  generation  of 
heat. 

The  good  effects  of  slow  combustion,  in  combination  with  our 
method  of  introducing  air  already  heated,  in  preserving  the  iron 
surfaces  of  the  furnaces,  has  been  already  mentioned  in  a 
former  connection.  It  is  believed  to  be  a  scientific  conclusion 
that  the  flame,  when  perfectly  ignited,  is  less  detrimental  to  the 
metal  than  that  which  has  not  been  as  completely  purified.  We 
entertain  no  doubt,  that  the  usual  average  of  engines  under 
repair  in  the  machine  shop,  often  estimated  as  high  as  one 
out  of  every  five,  will  be  much  reduced  by  the  introduction 
of  our  system.  Curves,  which  had  been  subject  for  months  to 
the  most  intense  heat,  were  found  not  to  have  been  diminished 
in  weight  or  strength.  So  much  was  the  Belgian  Minister  im¬ 
pressed  with  this  unexpected  result,  that  at  his  desire  these 
curves  were  sent  to  Belgium,  where  they  now  are.  They  have 
our  furnaces  already  in  that  country,  are  testing  the  principle  in 
stationary  boilers,  and  are  about  to  apply  it  to  puddling  and 
house  furnaces,  and  also  to  Locomotives. 

Another  important  advantage  resulting  from  slow  combustion 
is  the  greater  control  over  the  fire.  Upon  closing  the  damper  the 
evaporation  is  more  immediately  checked,  and  this  is  on  many 
considerations  of  great  value  upon  the  road  and  in  the  station, 
or  round  house.  Nor  should  another  decided  recommendation 
in  its  favor  be  overlooked,  in  the  great  saving  of  labor  to  the 
fireman,  from  the  less  frequent  renewals  of  the  fuel. 

Surprise  has  been  expressed  that  if  these  suggested  improve¬ 
ments  in  the  arrangement  of  furnaces  possess  the  merit  that  we 
claim,  it  should  not  have  been  more  generally  recognized,  and 
these  improved  constructions  universally  adopted.  Reasons 


9 


t 


enough,  might  be  readily  suggested  why  this  backwardness 
ought  not  to  work  to  our  prejudice.  Besides  the  usual  ob¬ 
stacles  attending  all  attempts  to  innovate  upon  established  sys¬ 
tems,  others  have  been  presented  peculiar  to  the  subject  or  to 
our  own  condition.  The  theory  of  combustion  is  not  only  not 
familiar,  but  often  irksome  to  those  who  from  their  position 
would  be  called  upon,  in  case  of  any  great  alteration  of  the 
usual  modes,  to  assume  the  responsibility.  What  has  also  ope¬ 
rated  much  to  our  disadvantage  has  been  want  of  capital  for 
the  trial  of  experiments,  for  plans  and  models,  and  other 
means  of  recommending  our  system  favorably  to  public  notice. 
We  have  had,  moreover,  to  conquer  prejudices,  to  compete 
with  rivals,  and  the  very  simplicity  of  the  principles  upon 
which  our  system  is  founded  has  possibly  attracted  less  atten¬ 
tion  to  its  claims  than  it  deserved.  It  is  no  easy  task  to  over¬ 
come  the  resistance  of  fixed  opinion,  most  frequently  found 
among  the  least  informed ;  but  we  have  had  to  contend  with 
the  theory  of  the  scientific  and  the  practical  objections  of  en¬ 
gineers,  both  alike  reluctant  to  admit  truths  upon  the  most 
conclusive  evidence  when  at  variance  with  preconceived  ideas. 
The  endeavors  heretofore  made  to  improve  locomotives  have 
commonly  been  directed  to  other  parts  of  the  machine  ;  and 
much  time  and  labor  fruitlessly  wasted,  which  might  have  been 
more  wisely  devoted  to  the  motive  power,  the  proper  use  of 

fuel. 

* 

But  if,  during  the  years  of  toil  and  anxious  solicitude,  em¬ 
ployed  in  maturing  our  system  of  economical  combustion,  much 
has  been  met  to  dishearten,  a  lively  sense  of  gratitude  is  felt 
towards  the  many  whose  cheering  encouragement  induced  us 
to  persevere.  To  several  of  these  distinguished  for  great 
scientific  attainments,  every  acknowledgment  is  due  for  their 
patient  attention  to  the  explanation  of  our  views  and  generous 
aid  in  ascertaining  their  merit.  While  ever  ready  to  devote 
their  time  and  services  to  what  might  possibly  conduce  to  the 
public  benefit,  they  did  not  hesitate  when  convinced  we  were 
right  in  our  system  to  pledge  their  great  reputation  by  the 
most  ample  certificates  to  its  support. 

We  would  also  acknowledge  the  wise  liberality  of  the  man¬ 
agement  of  the  different  railroads  for  facilities  afforded  in  test¬ 
ing  our  improvements.  On  the  Lowell  road,  permission  was 
given  to  adapt  our  curves  to  an  ancient  engine,  which  had  been 
running  for  twenty-two  years,  and  was  about  to  be  broken  up 
owing  to  the  weakness  of  its  boiler.  The  attempt  to  run  her,  when 
altered,  to  Lowell,  was  deemed  exceedingly  hazardous,  and  the 


10 


superintendent  himself  did  not  care  to  venture  upon  the  trial. 
Most  satisfactory,  and  it  may  be  said,  startling  results  were 
obtained  in  the  perfect  freedom  from  black  smoke,  and  the  sav¬ 
ing  of  quite  half  the  fuel,  with  all  the  speed  and  power  re¬ 
quired. 

In  consequence  of  this  success,  Judge  Hopkinson,  the  late 
much  lamented  President  of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Rail¬ 
road,  invited  us  to  try  our  experiments  upon  his  road,  and 
ordered  a  twenty  ton  freight  engine  to  be  appropriated  for  the 
purpose.  This,  after  some  disappointments,  was  accomplished, 
and  the  Hecla  with  the  curves  and  feeders  yielded  results 
which,  as  presented  in  the  report  of  Mr.  Nott,  her  engineer, 
and  in  the  deductions  of  Mr.  Hale,  than  whom  no  one  has  more 
familiarity  with  all  subjects,  connected  with  railroads,  show  a 
saving  of  sixty-two  per  cent,  over  the  average  of  freight  en¬ 
gines  the  year  preceding.  Although  in  consequence  of  his 
removal  by  Providence  from  his  useful  career,  no  official  report 
was  made  by  the  President,  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  that  ordered  by  those  left  in  power  upon  the  road  will  be 
appreciated,  and  full  justice  eventually  done  to  the  merits  of  our 
system.  As  will  be  seen  by  this  report,  strict  inquiry  was  made 
as  to  every  particular  during  the  experiments.  Many  thousand 
miles  were  run  by  the  engine  in  the  winter  of  1855-6.  Her 
fuel,  Cumberland  coal  of  an  inferior  quality  was  taken  in  the 
morning  and  lasted  all  day.  The  records  will  show  that  she 
assisted  in  snow  drifts,  helped  the  disabled,  and  carried  the 
average  loads  under  the  severity  of  a  remarkable  winter.  She 
was  used  for  the  testing  of  the  experiments,  and  this  operated 
partially  to  our  disadvantage. 

Some  trials  were  made  of  our  inventions  at  the  Navy  Yard 
at  Washington,  but  not  under  circumstances  affording  any  test 
whatever  of  their  value.  A  writer  in  the  Franklin  Journal, 
commenting  upon  these  experiments,  with  some  severity,  had 
the  candor  to  admit  that,  if  we  could  reverberate  the  flame, 
and  bum  the  gases,  as  pretended,  we  would  doubtless  effect 
the  saving.  The  answer  to  this,  in  the  following  number,  was 
sufficiently  laconic  and  to  the  point.  It  was  simply  a  certifi¬ 
cate  of  the  Hon.  Nathan  Hale,  John  H.  Blake  and  Thomas  A. 
Dexter,  stating  that  they  had  actually  seen,  at  the  Navy  Yard 
at  Charlestown,  that  we  could  reverberate  the  flame,  mix  the 
gases  and  burn  the  smoke.  In  order  to  subject  this  to  occular 
demonstration,  a  glass  window  had  been  inserted  in  the  fur¬ 
nace,  and  this  interesting  process  can  still  be  any  day  wit¬ 
nessed  bj  a  visit  to  the  Navy  Yard. 


11 


For  efficient  railroad  management  exact  rules  and  methodi¬ 
cal  system  are  indispensable,  and  experiments,  interrupting  the 
regular  routine  of  employment  are  attended  with  some  incon 
venience.  But  with  the  present  intense  competition,  dividends 
can  only  be  realized  by  the  most  rigid  economy  ;  and  it  is  the 
obvious  duty  of  those,  intrusted  with  the  interests  of  their 
stockholders,  to  carefully  investigate  proposed  improvements, 
presenting  reasonable  promise  of  promoting  this  desirable  con¬ 
summation.  A  small  annual  per  centage  of  economy  in  fuel 
upon  our  railroads  would  amount  to  a  vast  sum  in  the  aggre¬ 
gate.  The  expenditure  of  a  few  thousands  in  experiments  can¬ 
not  be  injudicious  where  millions  may  in  consequence  be  saved. 
Should  the  outlay  be  an  unreasonable  burden  for  any  one  com¬ 
pany  by  combination  and  distribution  it  would  not  be  felt.  It 
is  all  important  that  the  trials  should  be  made  under  the  con¬ 
stant  supervision  of  some  one  alike  scientific  and  practical. 

After  the  repeated  assurances  of  those  most  competent  to 
judge  of  the  value  of  our  improvements,  and  constant  ex¬ 
periments  fully  confirming  their  favorable  conclusions,  we  can¬ 
not  doubt  but  that  our  system  ought  to  be  generally  adopted. 
If,  however,  any  other  construction  should  be  found,  predicat¬ 
ed  upon  other  principles,  better  entitled  to  consideration,  we 
are  of  course  not  sufficiently  selfish  to  willingly  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  immediate  adoption  of  what  must  so  greatly  enure 
to  the  public  benefit.  Whatever  the  issue,  we  shall  be  pleased 
to  have  labored  vigorously  for  a  good  cause,  and  should  it  be 
success, have  the  satisfaction  of  feeling  it  was  not  earned  with¬ 
out  effort. 

JONATHAN  AMORY, 

In  behalf  of  the  Franklin  Locomotive  Company  * 


MR.  NOTTS  EXPERIMENTS 


WITH  THE 

LOCOMOTIVE  “HECLA./3 

USING  CUMBERLAND  BITUMINOUS  COAL, 

DURING  THE  TRIALS  INDICATED  BY  TABLE  NO.  1. 


Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad. 

In  noticing  the  mode  used  during  these  trials  with  the  Hecla 
it  must  be  kept  in  view  that  in  the  introduction  of  the  raw 
coal  much  of  the  disengaged  portions  are  suddenly  carried  to  the 
shell  chamber,  and  there,  after  being  somewhat  cooled,  directly  to  the 
tubes  and  smoke  stack.  This  light  material  gradually  forms  a  coating 
on  the  tubes  which  experience  thus  far  plainly  indicates  must  be  re„ 
moved  before  a  true  efficacy  can  be  produced. 

The  experiments  upon  the  Hecla,  when  using  the  mode  indicated 
by  the  sketch,  were  tried  with  the  greatest  care  to  gain  a  fair  result  of 
the  use  of  coal  by  first  putting  the  raw  material  into  the  ‘fire  box,  and 
then  conveying  the  escaping  portions  into  a  chamber  more  nearly  in 
contact  with  the  water  surfaces.  In  using  coal  by  this  plan  there 
appears  to  be  two  simple  causes  for  failure.  One  which  arises  from 
the  non-combustion  of  fuel  which  escapes  even  from  the  intense  heat 
of  the  fire-box,  and  the  other  from  a  loss  of  heating  surface.  The  un¬ 
consumed  particles  immediately  passing  to  the  shell  and  tubes  while 
n  the  form  of  smoke  and  bitumen,  on  reaching  these  comparative¬ 
ly  cool  places  become  partially  condensed  while  the  condensing  pro¬ 
cess  is  in  part  carried  out,  there  is  a  heaviness,  so  to  speak,  produced 


13 


in  the  chimney  by  portions  of  the  exhaust  steam  becoming  mixed 
with,  and  adhering  to  the  already  troublesome  way  from  the  tire  box, 
which  retards  the  egress  of  the  steam  from  the  cylinders.  This  effect 
can  be  seen  when  raw  coal  is  added  to  the  fire.  There  is  then  a 
decided  falling  off  in  the  steam,  and  apparently  more  effort  in  the 
working  of  the  cylinder  motion.  This  trouble  would  be  obviated  by 
a  more  thorough  combustion.  The  exhaust  is  obliged  to  force  through 
the  tubes  the  products  of  a  poor  combustion,  which  is  another  tax  on 
the  efficiency  of  the  locomotive. 

When  the  mixture  with  raw  coal  is  not  good  (and  air)  there  is 
always  a  very  black  and  cloudy  appearance  in  the  fire  box.  This,  on 
its  first  movement,  after  passing  over  the  heat  and  up  to  the  top  of  the 
box  to  the  chamber,  then  goes  directly  to  the  tubes,  which  carry  the 
heat  and  fuel  through  them  in  a  column. 

By  this  plan  the  direct  draft  sweeps  the  chamber,  and  carries  the 
sparks  and  the  body  of  smoke  to  the  chimney  in  large  quantities.  To 
examine  the  use  of  white  pine  wood  used  upon  a  locomotive,  and  then 
carry  the  examination  along  through  the  different  kinds  of  wood  to 
the  most  pitchy  and  then  from  this  to  the  use  of  bituminous  coal, 
then  one  would  at  once  see  the  reason  that  there  are  so  many  failures 
to  produce  an  economical  efficiency  in  the  use  of  this  kind  of  coal* 
They  all  come  from  a  wrong  use  of  time  to  create  a  clear  heat  from 
the  raw  coal. 

Steam  can  be  made  on  any  wood  burning  locomotive  by  using  bitu¬ 
minous  coal  and  in  the  same  abundance  as  it  would  with  wood,  but  it 
cannot  be  done  without  wasting  a  large  part  of  the  fuel,  and  produc¬ 
ing  other  results  which  would  of  themselves  make  a  total  failure.  The 
repairs  would  be  very  much  increased,  and  there  would  be  thrown 
from  the  chimney  a  cloud  of  smoke  and  sticky  bitumen  which  would 
be  a  nuisance  from  one  end  of  the  road  to  the  other.  Such  was  the 
effect  from  the  mode  first  used  on  the  Hecla  during  the  trials  but  not  to 
that  degree. 

The  use  of  the  “  Hecla”  on  a  freight  train  produced  hardly  so 
good  a  result  as  on  a  passenger  train.  As  the  tendency  on  the  slow 
train  is  to  roll  over  into  the  chamber  in  the  shell  carrying  the  cloud 
to  the  tubes  and  chimney.  When  used  on  a  passenger  train  the  bed 
of  coal  is  more  ignited,  which  on  entering  the  chamber  produces  a 
better  first  effect,  but  when  there  is  any  raw  coal  added,  and  when 
the  tiain  is  stopping  the  effect  is  the  contrary.  The  entrance  of  the 
air  under  the  furnace,  the  shell,  and  next  to  the  water  surface,  is 
decidedly  to  cool  and  condense  the  volatile  fuel. 


14 


During  these  trials  there  was  but  little  stopping,  or  but  little 
leaving  or  taking  cars  on  the  road.  The  doors  of  the  fire  box  were 
partly  opened  after  the  new  coal  was  added  during  these  trials  in 
order  to  lessen  the  bad  effect  of  smoke. 

The  conclusion  is  that  the  mode  made  use  of  in  these  trials  does  not 
produce  efficiency,  the  contracted  space  of  the  shell  room  of  a  boiler 
cannot  be  used.  Efficiency  must  come  from  a  clean  heat  produced 
elsewhere.  In  using  the  coals  in  this  mode  the  effect  is  to  some 
extent  the  same  as  if  it  were  used  on  an  ordinary  locomotive. 


15 


SECOND  TRIAL. 

The  Hecla  on  this  trial  was  used  by  the  mode  adopted  by  the 
Franklin  Locomotive  Company.  Their  plan  is  to  gain  time  for 
mixture  and  combustion  to  produce  a  clear  heat,  thus  to  overcome  the 
hitherto  poor  use  of  pitchy  wood  or  bituminous  coal. 

The  time  is  gained  bv  producing  eddies,  thus  making  the  uncon¬ 
sumed  fuel  travel  further  and  use  more  time.  This  is  done  in  the 
shell  of  the  boiler  by  cutting  off  the  tubes  and  placing  the  curves 
in  the  chamber,  but  located  here  they  produce  an  effect  contrary  to 
that  they  would  if  the  heat  was  more  intense,  and  not  exposed  to  the 
cooling  effects  of  the  surface  next  to  the  water. 

These  trials  point  out  distinctly  what  course  may  be  followed  with  a 
fair  chance  of  ultimate  success,  and  which  would,  if  properly  followed, 
assist  very  much  in  the  introduction  of  bituminous  coals  with  the 
everyday  use  of  locomotives.  From  these  experiments  it  appears 
that  to  produce  the  highest  effect  by  tl  is  plan  it  is  not  best  to  introduce 
unconsumed  fuel  into  the  shell,  for  here  the  heat  is  not  so  intense  as 
it  is  in  the  fire  box.  If  the  mode  can  be  used  within  the  fire  box 
itself  this  plan  may  be  of  great  use  to  Railways.  There  are  indica¬ 
tions  that  there  is  not  time  for  mixture  in  the  present  fire  box,  as  the 
light  unconsumed  fuel  is  rolled  into  the  tubes  from  off  the  intense 
heat,  coming  up  from  the  ignited  fuel  before  the  thoroughly  heated  air 
can  come  through  the  fire  and  mix.  The  combustion  is  carried  from  a 
good  place  to  one  where,  if  time  is  gained,  it  can  be  of  little  service. 
Any  plan  having  for  its  object  to  produce  a  clear  heat,  that  is  a  heat 
that  may  be  used  among  the  tubes  without  injury  to  them,  either  by 
retarding  gasses  or  by  coating,  is  one  that  railways  cannot  pass  by 
without  a  patient  examination. 

The  delay  in  combustion  caused  by  this  plan  used  during  these  trials 
is  apparent  upon  an  examination  of  the  unconsumed  fuel  in  its  passage 
through  the  chamber,  but  this  apparent  gain  is  neutralised  by  con¬ 
tinual  condensing  of  the  residium,  and  a  very  large  loss  in  heating 
surface.  Much  of  the  sticky,  sooty  substance  is  held  up  among  these 
eddies  after  leaving  the  fire-box,  making  a  barrier  here  to  the  intro- 
duction  of  sufficient  fuel  to  produce  efficiency.  If  more  time  could 
be  gained  for  combustion  in  the  intense  heat  of  the  fire-box,  expe¬ 
rience  in  the  use  of  fuel  for  locomotives  shows  plainly  that  less  fuel 
will  be  used  to  produce  the  same  effect.  The  leaking  of  the  tubes  is 
more  generally  owing  to  the  residuum  of  a  poor  combustion  passing 
through  them  from  the  fire-box  to  the  intensity  of  the  heat. 


16 


To  give  a  true  application  of  fuel  the  combustion  must  be  car¬ 
ried  on  as  far  away  as  possible  and  practicable  from  the  water 
spaces  as  they  are  decided  condensers.  Fuel  is  not  made  useful 
after  it  enters  the  tubes,  but  on  the  contrary  is  a  damage  as  before 
shown. 

The  fire  was  not  managed  with  the  same  care  as  it  was  during  pre¬ 
vious  trials.  There  was  not  as  much  effort  to  clear  the  clinker  from 
the  sides  and  the  grate  bars.  In  the  first  four  trips,  the  coal  was  of  a 
very  inferior  quality,  as  well  as  being  more  than  ordinarily  fine  ;  upon 
the  remaining  trials,  the  coal  was  large,  and  of  a  better  quality,  al¬ 
though  there  was  some  large  lumps  with  veins  of  slate.  During 
these  trials,  there  was  a  large  portion  of  the  time  used  in  taking  and 
leaving  cars  at  the  stations  on  the  road,  which  required  more  fuel 
than  if  the  train  went  over  the  road  without  changing. 

The  furnace  door  was  not  opened  after  firing,  and  the  smoke 
from  the  chimney  was  quite  light  colored.  There  was  an  instant 
after  the  raw  coal  was  added  when  there  was  a  cloud  from  the  chim¬ 
ney,  and  this  was  not  very  black. 

The  injuriotis  effect  in  the  use  of  coal  instead  of  wood  on  a  wood 
burning  locomotive  must  be  avoided  before  coal  can  be  used  with 
success.  These  trials  show  that  much  better  results  than  those  here 

i 

given  can  be  obtained  if  any  plan  can  be  applied  to  a  wood-burning 
locomotive,  by  which  the  advantage  of  the  time  gained  for  combus¬ 
tion  by  this  plan  could  be  maintained,  and  the  experience  in  the 
use'  of  bituminous*  coal  thus  far  gives  great  hope  of  success.  The 
conclusion  derived  from  the  two  trials  is  that  coal  cannot  be  used  eco¬ 
nomically  when  separated  from  the  principal  fuel  chamber,  and  not 
even  there  unless  more  time  is  gained  for  the  necessary  mixture  of 
the  products.  Experience  shows  that  the  best  way  to  gain  efficiency 
is  to  allow  nothing  which  acts  as  a  cooler  to  come  in  contact  with 
the  fuel.  This  can  hardly  be  carried  out  upon  a  locomotive,  but  the 
nearest  approach  to  it  is  the  true  aim.  Economy  of  fuel  in  any  loco¬ 
motive  depends  much  upon  the  skill  and  degree  of  attention  exer¬ 
cised  by  those  who  use  it.  I  have  been  much  assisted  in  forming 
opinions  here  expressed  by  other  experiments  both  as  to  wood  and 
coal  now  in  progress.  These  trials  and  others  of  a  like  kind  tend 
to  show  that  there  may  be  a  mode  by  which  the  greatest  economy 
can  be  obtained  in  the  use  of  coal  by  cheap  alterations  of  the  pres¬ 
ent  locomotives.  In  building  new  locomotives,  with  a  view  to  the  use 
of  such  a  mode,  some  new  features  could  probably  be  introduced, 
which  would  much  facilitate  the  working  of  the  plan. 


IT 


Upon  the  subject  of  anthracite  coal,  I  made  some  enquiries  two 
years  ago  in  the  Schuylkill  region.  The  injury  to  the  parts  in  con¬ 
tact  with  the  intense  heat  was  very  evident  from  the  use  of  the 
coal.  The  cause  is  found  in  the  fact  that  there  was  much  disen¬ 
gaged  fuel  in  the  shape  of  gasses. 

If  railway  companies  could  be  induced  to  carry  on  jointly  practical  ex¬ 
aminations  entirely  free  from  the  influence  of  interested  parties  the 
best  of  results  would  in  time  follow. 

G.  H.  NOTT. 


T 


EXPERIMENTS 

On  the  Plan  of  the  Franklin  Locomotive  Company,  with  the  Locomotive  Engine  “  Hecla,”  using  Bituminous  Coal,  on  the 

Boston  and  Woicester  Railway,  in  May,  1856. 


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27,420 

38,355 

32,743 

36,442 

25,459 

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lbs. 

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4190 

3800 

5198 

4200 

4355 

3737 

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2270 

2940 

2116 

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2257 

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.  Thomas  Hopkinson,  Pres’t  Boston  and  Worcester 


COAL  AS  A  SUBSTITUTE  FOR  WOOD, 

IN  LOCOMOTIVES. 

EXTRACT  FROM  HON.  NATHAN  HALE’S  REPORT, 

[published  in  boston  daily  advertiser.] 


The  following  statement  of  the  result  of  the  experimental  trials 
therein  described,  made  on  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad,  for 
testing  the  efficacy  and  cost  of  coal,  in  comparison  with  wood,  in 
producing  steam  for  the  transport  of  freight  trains  on  railways,  was 
made  at  the  request  of  persons  desirous  of  ascertaining  the  success 
of  those  trials.  Believing  that  there  are  many  other  persons  who 
take  an  interest  in  the  subject,  we  publish  the  statement  for  the  in¬ 
formation  of  such  of  our  readers  as  may  be  disposed  to  investigate 
it,  believing  on  our  part  that  the  question  involved  in  the  inquiry  is 
one  of  great  public  importance. 

The  experiments  superintended  by  Mr.  Nott,  of  the  performance 
by  the  Hecla,  which  furnish  the  facts  for  a  part  of  the  statement,  are 
reported  by  him  in  detail,  and  with  great  precision  and  minuteness 
of  calculation.  The  comparative  statements  are  the  results  of  our 
computation,  based  on  the  data  furnished  by  those  reports,  and  by 
the  official  return  of  the  operations  of  the  road  during  the  last  year, 
made  to  the  Legislature  by  the  Directors. 

Cost  of  Fin,  l  on  the  Boston  and  Worcester  Railroad. ,  in  the  year 
1855  ;  and  Experiments  for  testing  the  success  of  coal-burning 
Engines  in  reducing  the  cost. 

In  the  year  1855,  the  number  of  passengers  transported 


one  mile,  was . 25,736,825 

Weight  of  passengers  and  baggage,  estimated  at  200 

lbs.  each, . 2,573,682  tons 

Weight  of  passenger  cars, . 20,340,662  “ 

Total  weight  of  passenger  trains, . 22,914,344  “ 


20 


Weight  of  merchandize  transported, .  12,056,959  tons 

Weight  of  freight  cars, . . .  16,652,790  “ 

Total  weight  of  freight  trains, . 28", 7 19,749  “ 

Miles  run  by  passenger  trains, . 341,791 

Miles  run  by  freight  trains, .  187,243 

Miles  run  by  gravel  and  other  trains, . 12,414 

Total, . 541,448 

Cost  of  wood  for  all  trains, . $151,476 

Deduct  for  gravel  trains, . 3,463 

Fuel  for  passenger  and  freight  trains, . $148,013 

Average  of  passengers  per  train, . 75.3 

Estimated  weight  of  passengers  with  baggage, . 7-53  tons 

Weight  of  passenger  cars  per  train, . 59.52  “ 

Average  weight  of  passenger  trains, . 67.05  “ 

Average  weight  of  merchandise,  whole  distance  of  each 

train, . 64.46  “ 

Average  weight  of  cars, . 89.  “ 


Average  weight  of  whole  train, .  153.46  “ 


To  make  an  accurate  division  of  the  amount  above,  computed  as 
the  cost  of  fuel  used  on  the  two  classes  of  trains,  in  proportion  to 
the  quantity  consumed  on  each,  we  must  increase  the  number  of 
tons  weight  transported  one  mile  in  the  passenger  trains,  by  about 
12^  per  cent,  on  account  of  their  greater  speed,  and  the  more  fre¬ 
quent  stops  of  the  accommodation  trains.  The  number  thus  in¬ 
creased,  compared  with  the  actual  number  of  tons  carried  one  mile 
by  the  freight  trains,  will  furnish,  as  nearly  as  it  can  be  ascertained, 
the  proportion  in  which  the  sum  of  $148,113,  expended  as  above 
stated,  should  be  divided  between  the  two  departments.  Such  a 
division  gives  $69,553  for  the  expenditure  for  fuel  on  the  passenger, 
and  $78,460  for  that  on  the  freight  trains. 

The  sum  of  $69,553,  divided  by  the  number  of  miles  run  during 
the  year  by  passenger  trains,  shows  that  the  average  cost  of  fuel  per 


21 


mile  for  those  trains,  amounted  to  20.35  cents.  The  same  sum 
divided  by  the  number  of  passengers  carried  one  mile,  shows  an 
average  cost  of  27-100  of  a  cent  per  mile  ;  and  divided  by  the  tons 
weight  of  trains  shows  an  average  cost  per  ton  of  303-1000  of  a  cent 
per  mile,  exclusive  of  the  weight  of  engine  and  tender. 

The  sum  of  $78,460,  divided  by  the  number  of  miles  run  by  the 
freight  trains,  shows  the  average  cost  of  fuel  to  have  been  41  9-10 
cents  per  mile  of  each  freight  train ;  divided  by  the  tons  freight 
carried  one  mile,  it  shows  a  cost  of  65-100  of  a  cent  per  mile  ;  and 
divided  by  the  entire  weight  of  trains  transported  one  mile,  shows  a 
cost  of  273-1000  of  a  cent  per  ton  of  the  load  and  dead  weight 
moved. 

Taking  the  results  of  this  computation  of  the  cost  of  fuel  consumed 
on  tlw  freight  trains  on  the  road  during  the  year  1855,  founded  on 
the  official  returns  of  the  business  of  the  year,  as  showing  the  rate 
of  that  branch  of  expenditure,  at  the  present  time,  by  the  use  of 
wood-burning  engines,  we  have  a  basis  of  comparison  by  which  to 
determine  whether  any  saving  of  cost  can  be  made,  by  the  substitu¬ 
tion  of  bituminous  coal. 

Having  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  Mr.  G.  H.  Mott’s  report 
of  the  experiments  superintended  by  him  for  testing  the  efficiency  of 
the  engine  Hecla,  I  have  made  the  following  statements  of  the  results 
of  those  experiments,  for  the  purpose  of  presenting  them  in  a  form 
which  will  admit  of  a  ready  comparison  of  them,  with  those  afforded 
by  the  wood-burning  engines. 

To  these  statements  I  have  subjoined  such  remarks  as  seem  to  be 
necessary  for  bringing  into  notice  the  difference  of  circumstances 
under  which  the  results  in  the  several  cases  were  obtained. 

For  the  purpose  of  ready  comparison,  I  here  recapitulate  the 
prominent  results,  beginning  with  the  computation  based  on  the 
year’s  operations,  and  followed  by  those  based  on  the  experiments 
for  burning  coal. 


1.  Wood-Burning  Engine.  Average  of  1855. 


Weight  of  train,  average  both  ways, .  153.46  tons. 

Tons  1  mile  per  trip, . . . .  6,828 

Cost  of  fuel,  per  trip  of  44^  miles, . $18.69 

Cost  of  fuel,  per  mile  of  each  train, . 41.9  cts. 

Cost  of  fuel,  per  mile  of  do., .  0.273 

Cost  of  fuel,  per  ton  of  goods,  do., . . . 0.576 


(See  Note  A.) 


22 


2.  Coal-burning  Engine  Hecla ,  with  Baker's  Curves . 


Weight  of  train,  average  both  ways, . 14b. 16  tons. 

Tons  1  mile  per  trip, . . 6.637 

Cost  of  fuel  per  trip  of  44J  miles,  with  wood  for  kindling,  87.01 

Cost  of  fuel  per  mile  of  each  train, . 15  75  cts. 

Cost  of  fuel  per  ton  per  mile  of  do., . 0.1056 

Pounds  of  coal  and  wood  per  trip, . 2288  lbs* 

Pounds  of  coal  and  wood  per  mile  of  train, . 51.4  “ 

( See  Note  B .) 


3.  Coal-burning  Engine  Hecla ,  without  Baker's  Curves. 

Weight  of  train,  average  both  ways, . 194.1  tons 

Tons  1  mile  per  trip, . 8,637 

Cost  of  fuel  per  trip  of  44^  miles,  with  wood  for  kindling,  810  18 

Cost  of  fuel  per  mile  of  each  train, . 22.87  cts. 

Cost  of  fuel  per  ton  per  mile  of  do., . 0.197 

Pounds  of  coal  and  wood  per  trip, . 3371  lbs. 

Pounds  of  coal  per  mile  of  train,  . 75.5  “ 

( See  Note  C.) 

Note  A.  The  amounts  stated  under  this  head  show  the  average 
results  of  the  freight  movements  of  the  last  year,  modified  by  all  the 
contingencies  of  the  season — of  irregular  business  and  deficient  loads 
in  either  direction — it  frequently  happening  that  when  there  are  the 
fullest  loads  in  one  direction,  there  are  the  most  empty  cars  in  the 
other.  This  accounts  for  the  average  load  being  far  below  the  capac¬ 
ity  of  the  engines  to  carry,  and  far  below  the  average  of  full  loads 
actually  carried.  Such  must  always  be  the  average  result  of  the 
regular  business.  It  accounts  also  for  the  excess  of  the  average  cost 
per  ton  of  the  weight  transported,  over  that  of  a  full  load  on  an 
experimental  trial. 

Note  B.  The  statements  of  the  performance  of  the  Hecla  are 
deduced  from  the  report  of  Mr.  G.  H.  Nott.  The  engine  as  fitted 
up  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Amory,  on  the  principle  of  Baker’s 
furnace,  with  air  pipes  to  aid  the  combustion,  was  employed  to  per¬ 
form  the  regular  duty  of  the  third  morning  freight  train  from  Boston 
to  Worcester.  As  a  part  of  that  duty  the  train  was  charged  with 
the  reception  and  delivery  of  merchandize  not  only  at  the  termini  of 
the  road,  but  at  all  the  way  stations,  whenever  occasion  required. 


/ 


23 


I  am  unable  to  say  how  nearly  the  duty  assigned  to  it  corresponded 
with  the  average  of  ordinary  trains,  embraced  in  the  foregoing  state¬ 
ment  ;  but  I  infer  from  the  fact  that  the  two  first  regular  morning 
trains  do  not  ordinarily  stop  at  way  stations,  except  for  the  taking  of 
water,  it  must  have  been  subject  to  more  than  the  average  inequality 
of  loads,  and  much  more  than  the  average  amount  of  delay.  It 
appears  from  the  time-table  for  the  regulation  of  the  trains  on  the 
road  that  4^  hours  are  allowed  for  the  “first  freight  train,”  including 
a  stop  at  Framingham  to  allow  the  going  ahead  of  the  passenger 
train.  This  allowance  of  four  and  a  quarter  hours,  I  understand,  is 
intended  to  afford  time,  in  ordinary  cases,  for  not  only  the  first  train, 
strictly  speaking,  which  leaves  Boston  at  4.45  A.  M.,  but  two  or 
three  supplementary  trains  which  follow  it  with  a  red  flag,  to  arrive 
at  Worcester  —  the  ordinary  regular  time  for  the  trip  of  each  being 
reckoned  at  four  and  a  quarter  hours.  No  other  train,  however, 
according  to  the  time-table,  is  entitled  to  the  road  until  11  o’clock, 
making  5^  hours  from  the  departure  of  the  first  freight  train  No.  1. 
This  is  doubtless  designed  to  make  provision  for  usual  delays  on 
either  train,  and  especially  on  the  third,  which  stops  at  the  way  sta¬ 
tions.  The  Hecla,  on  the  trips  recorded,  took  the  place  of  freight 
train  No.  3.  Mr.  Nott  reports  the  time  occupied  in  each  trip,  and 
the  number  of  stops,  but  not  the  running  time  or  the  duration  of  the 
stops.  I  find  by  computation  from  his  statement,  that  the  average 
duration  of  the  upward  trips  wras  4  hours  54  minutes,  and  of  the 
down-ward,  3  hours  53  ;  and  the  average  of  stops  was  about  7  to 
each  trip.  1  infer  from  information  from  him,  that  the  loss  of  time 
on  these  trips  was  not  less  than  an  hour  to  each,  leaving  Jess  than 
four  hours  for  the  average  of  running  time  on  the  upward  trips,  and 
less  than  three  hours  on  the  downward.  It  would  seem  reasonable 
to  infer  from  these  facts,  that  in  regard  to  time,  the  performance  of 
the  Ilecla,  used  as  a  coal-burning  engine,  was  equal  to  what  it  would 
have  been,  had  she  been  running  without  alteration,  and  with  wood 
for  fuel.  It  appears  from  Mr.  Nott’s  report,  that  in  three  of  her  up¬ 
ward  trips,  she  overtook  and  assisted  the  wood-burning  engine  which 
preceded  her  —  once  on  the  steep  grade  in  Brighton,  and  twice  on 
the  long  ascending  grade  near  Worcester.  In  regard  to  the  weight 
of  loads,  it  will  be  perceived  that  the  average  was  but  three  percent, 
below  that  of  all  the  trains  of  last  year  ;  and  that  she  drew  without 
difficulty  all  the  loads  which  were  assigned  to  her,  except  in  one  in- 


24 


stance,  on  the  first  downward  trip  on  the  most  difficult  ascending 
grade,  when  working  with  very  inferior  fire  coal,  unfit  for  the  pur¬ 
pose.  The  trip  was  nevertheless  made  without  assistance  in  less 
than  four  hours. 

Note  C.  The  experiments  on  the  Hecla  without  the  curves  of 
Baker’s  furnace,  were  made  without  Mr.  Amory’s  advice,  on  the 
supposition  that  with  the  introduction  of  the  air  tubes,  the  efficiency 
of  the  engine  might  be  greater  without,  than  with  them.  The  trial 
proved  the  contrary ;  for  although  the  engine  carried  heavier  loads 
by  31  per  cent.,  she  consumed  more  fuel  by  45  per  cent. ;  and  occu¬ 
pied  a  greater  average  time  in  the  trips,  while  she  made  but  half  the 
number  of  stops,  having  occupied  the  place  of  No.  2  of  the  morning 
freight  trains,  instead  of  No.  3.  It  thus  appears  to  show  that  the 
reason  why  the  Hecla  did  not  carry  heavier  trains  in  the  trial  with 
Baker’s  curves,  was  that  sufficient  loads  were  not  put  upon  her  to 
test  her  power.  This  is  further  proved  by  the  greater  quantity  of 
Water  evaporated,  in  proportion  to  the  quantity  of  coal  consumed, 
‘which,  according  to  Mr.  Nott  s  report,  amounted  with  the  curves,  to 
the  unusual  proportion  of  6.99  lbs.  of  water  to  one  of  coal,  and 
without  them  to  4.62  lbs.  only,  on  an  average  of  the  fourteen  trips 
in  one  case,  and  of  twenty-two  in  the  other.  This  shows  the  com¬ 
pleteness  of  the  combustion  of  the  coal,  and  its  effect  on  the  boiler, 
more  accurately  than  the  quantity  and  distance  of  load  transported, 
because  we  have  no  accurate  measure  of  the  delays  of  trains,  and 
consequent  loss  of  any  productive  effect  from  the  steam  generated , 
The  proportion  of  water  evaporated  on  the  fourteen  trips,  is  a  very 
unusual  quantity  for  a  locomotive,  rarely  exceeded,  even  by  coke. 

Mr.  Nott’s  report  affords  also  another  conclusive  proof  of  the  more 
thorough  combustion  of  the  coal  with  the  curves  than  without  them. 
I  refer  to  the  enormous  quantity  of  sparks  and  cinders  intercepted  by 
the  sparker,  and  collected  in  the  cap  outside  of  the  chimney.  These 
sparks  are  reported  as  amounting,  in  the  trials  without  the  curves,  to 
an  average  of  12  2-3  cubic  feet  per  trip.  Besides  this  amount  col¬ 
lected  by  the  sparker,  there  was  a  further  quantity  of  cinders  accu¬ 
mulated  within  the  chimney,  amounting  to  an  average  of  six  and  a 
quarter  cubic  feet  in  each  trip.  The  sparks  collected  by  the  sparker, 
on  the  trips  with  the  curves,  amounted  on  an  average  to  a  fraction 
over  four  cubic  feet,  instead  of  12  2-3,  and  the  cinders  within  the 
chimney  to  8.4  feet,  instead  of  6  1-4.  This  difference  in  the  amount 


of  sparks  shows  a  great  advantage  from  the  curves  ;  and  it  remains 
to  be  seen  whether  this  beneficial  effect  may  not  be  greatly  increased 
by  merely  placing  the  fire-grate  higher  and  nearer  to  the  boiler,  and 
by  introducing  heated  air  for  supplying  the  combustion  beneath  the 
grate,  by  tubes  passing  under  the  curves,  as  is  done  in  the  stationary 
boilers  at  the  blacksmith’s  shop  at  the  Navy  Yard  in  Charlestown. 


It  may  doubtless  surprise  persons  not  conversant  with  the  number 
of  empty  or  half-loaded  cars  necessarily  transported,  for  meeting  the 
irregularities  of  the  freight  business,  to  learn  that  the  average  loads 
bear  so  small  a  proportion  to  what  the  engines  employed  are  capable 
of  carrying,  and  that  the  available  load  is  in  so  great  a  disproportion 
to  the  dead  weight.  The  amount  stated  above  as  the  average  of  the 
loads  carried  bv  all  the  trains  of  the  Boston  and  Worcester  road, 
during  the  year  1855,  although  considerably  less  than  the  average  of 
the  preceding  year,  was  greater  than  that  of  any  other  railroad  in  the 
Commonwealth,  as  will  be  seen  by  the  following  statement  of  the 
average  weights  of  trains  on  the  principal  freight-carrying  roads,  for 
the  year  1855,  viz  :  — - 


Merchandise.  Dead  Weight. 

Boston  and  Worcester..  .64.4  tons . 153.4  tons. 


Western,  .  . . .  55. 

Boston  and  Lowell. . .  .  .52. 

Fitchburg . 52  4 

Boston  and  Maine . 53.4 

Boston  and  Providence.  .50.7 
Old  Colony . 49.7 


u 

66 

. 124. 

tons. 

64 

.. . . .136. 

66 

66 

. 152. 

66 

66 

. 163. 

66 

66 

. 101. 

66 

The  reason  of  the  greater  than  average  proportion  of  dead  weight 
on  the  Providence  road,  is  probably  that  it  carries  a  larger  proportion 
of  measurement  and  light  goods,  and  a  similar  cause  may  have  affect¬ 
ed  the  comparative  weight  on  other  roads.  This  statement  will  show 
how  far  the  average  of  loads  necessarily  carried,  falls  short  of  what 
perhaps  every  engine  employed  would  be  capable  of  carrying  on  a 
trial  trip,  loaded  for  the  purpose,  especially  if  it  could  find  a  full  load 
for  the  return  trip.  It  shows,  also,  that  if  a  trial  trip  is  relied  on  for 
testing  the  capacity  of  an  engine,  care  should  be  taken  that  the  load 
correspond  as  nearly  as  possible  with  the  average  of  regular  business , 
or  that  in  forming  a  judgment  of  the  comparative  value  of  the  results, 
a  just  allowance  should  be  made  for  the  difference  of  circumstances 
likely  to  occur  on  other  trials  which  would  materially  change  those 
results. 


26 


In  presenting  this  statement  of  a  mathematical  analysis  of  the  re¬ 
sults  satisfactorily  authenticated,  to  aid  those  who  are  desirous  of 
forming  a  judgment  of  the  relative  efficacy  of  the  new  modes  of  pro¬ 
ducing  steam  power  on  locomotives,  I  feel  bound  to  state  my  entire 
incompetency  to  form  any  satisfactory  judgment,  from  my  own  obser¬ 
vation  of  the  success  of  either  of  the  modes  which  have  been  sub¬ 
jected  to  the  tests  in  question.  I  have  for  this  reason  confined  my 
remarks  on  this  question  to  the  results  of  the  experiments  made  as 
reported  from  actual  measurement.  I  have  in  fact  had  no  opportunity 
to  make  such  observation  of  either,  except  to  a  very  limited  extent, 
viz  ,  in  making  a  single  trip  some  months  ago  on  the  Lowell  railroad, 
in  a  passenger  car  attached  to  a  light  freight  train  drawn  by  an  old 
engine  fitted  up  with  Baker’s  curves,  under  the  direction  of  Mr. 
Amory.  The  experiments  appeared  to  me  promising,  in  the  appar¬ 
ent  thorough  consumption  of  the  coal  and  consequent  prevention  of 
smoke,  except  occasionally  to  a  very  limited  amount ;  and  in  the 
small  quantity  of  coal  used  to  draw  the  load.  But  the  boiler  was 
not  considered  safe  for  putting  upon  it  such  an  amount  of  steam  as 
would  satisfactorily  test  the  efficacy  of  the  mode  of  heating. 

I  have  long  been  of  opinion  that  it  was  becoming  imperative  on 
those  entrusted  with  the  management  of  railroads,  to  resort  to  coal 
in  place  of  wood  for  locomotives,  either  in  its  crude  shape  or  in  the 
form  of  coke,  and  I  have  given  a  good  deal  of  attention  to  the  modes 
of  doing  it.  Anthracite  coal  seemed  at  first  promising,  but  it  was 
long  ago  demonstrated  to  my  satisfaction,  that  it  was  entirely  unfit 
for  the  purpose,  unless  on  heavy  freight  trains,  running  uninterrupt¬ 
edly  long  distances.  Free  burning  bituminous  coal,  like  the  Cumber¬ 
land,  is  much  better  adapted,  if  it  can  be  made  to  consume  its  own 
smoke  and  cinders.  This  object  seems  to  me  to  have  been  in  a  good 
degree  attained  in  Baker’s  stationary  furnace,  and  the  heating  power 
of  the  coal  is  thereby  much  increased.  The  experiments  made  by 
Mr.  Amory  go  far  towards  demonstrating,  if  they  do  not  fully  prove 
it,  that  the  same  effect  may  be  produced  in  the  locomotive.  The 
experiments  on  the  Hecla,  of  which  I  have  here  given  an  analysis,  I 
think  prove  satisfactorily,  so  far  as  the  producing  of  a  steady  heating 
power  is  concerned,  that  the  object  is  attainable  at  about  half  the  cost 
of  wood,  on  the  Boston  and  Worcester  road. 


Boston,  Sept.  6,  1856. 


NATHAN  HALE. 


A.  IF  A  IP  E  E, 


READ  TO  THE 


AMERICAN  ASSOCIATES 

♦  7 


FOR  THE 


ADVANCEMENT  OF  SCIENCE. 


The  undersigned,  a  committee  appointed  by  a  number  of  the  man¬ 
ufacturers  of  New  England,  to  examine  “  Baker’s  Improved  Boiler 
Furnace,”  and  to  investigate  the  advantages  claimed  for  it,  with  a 
view  to  ascertaining  how  far  they  are  well  founded,  submit  the  fol¬ 
lowing  report :  — 

The  peculiarity  of  this  invention  consists  in  one,  two,  or  three 
inverted  arches,  according  to  the  length  of  the  boiler,  which  are 
placed  behind  the  fire,  transversely  under  the  boiler,  leaving  a  space 
between  the  external  surface  of  the  boiler  and  the  top  of  the  extrem¬ 
ity  of  the  arch  nearest  the  fire,  of  about  four  inches  ;  the  other  ex¬ 
tremity  of  the  inverted  arch,  and  the  succeeding  arches,  are  so  con¬ 
structed  that  each  successive  opening  or  flue  is  diminished  in  width, 
in  such  manner  that  the  most  distant  is  reduced  to  about  two  inches 
in  depth.  The  extremities  of  each  inverted  arch  are  curved  in  such 
manner  that  the  flame,  smoke  and  hot  air,  in  passing  from  the  fire¬ 
place,  after  being  forced  into  close  proximity  with  the  boiler  in  the 
narrow  space,  are  reverberated  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  inverted 

arches _ the  combustible  gases  are  brought  into  contact  wtth  the 

flames,  and  are  burned  ;  while  the  incombustible  gases,  being  heavi¬ 
er,  fall  below,  where  they  do  not  interfere  with  the  process  of  com¬ 
bustion,  which  thus  becomes  as  nearly  perfect  as  possible. 


28 


This  is  an  outline  of  the  improvement  of  Col.  Baker.  An  import¬ 
ant  addition  has  recently  been  added  by  Mr.  Amory.  No  air  is 
admitted  to  the  fire  in  front,  but  it  is  fed  from  a  chamber  connecting 
with  the  outer  air  near  the  chimney,  by  means  of  a  tube  leading 
thence  to  the  spa^e  below  the  fire-grate.  This  tube  is  so  placed  that 
the  air  in  its  passage  through  it  acquires  a  considerable  degree  of 
heat,  whereby  the  combustion  is  aided. 

The  whole  apparatus  is  now  owned  and  applied  by  the  Franklin 
Locomotive  Company.  On  account  of  the  convenience  of  a  simple 
designation,  we  use  the  name  “Baker’s  Furnace,”  in  this  report  in¬ 
stead  of  any  other.  Indeed,  all  of  the  experiments  4iere  detailed 
were  made  before  the  addition  of  Mr.  Amory’s  flue,  which  is  found  to 
increase  the  efficacy  of  the  Furnace,  and  thus  presents  results  more 
favorable  than  those  described. 

It  might  not  be  difficult  to  explain  in  theory  the  advantages  which 
must  result,  in  the  perfect  combustion  of  the  fuel, — the  close  proxim¬ 
ity  in  which  the  heat  is  brought  to  the  boiler  But  we  will  merely 
allude  to  the  supply  of  the  furnace  with  air  partially  heated — the  re¬ 
tardation  of  the  current  of  flame,  smoke  and  gases  emitted  from  the 
fire-box,  and  the  commingling  of  the  various  ingredients  by  reverbe¬ 
ration  of  the  compound  mass  from  opposite  sides  of  the  inverted 
arches  and  the  bottom  of  the  boiler,  whereby  the  different  elements 
are  brought  into  contact,  and  more  time  is  given  for  evolving  the 
heat,  and  for  consuming  the  combustible  material  which  otherwise 
would  be  discharged  from  the  chimney — as  constituting  the  promi¬ 
nent  advantages  which  are  secured  by  this  invention.  Instead,  how¬ 
ever,  of  discussing  the  subject  from  a  theoretical  point  of  view,  the 
committee  prefer  to  examine  the  practical  operation  of  the  Furnace 
as  tested  by  numerous  experiments  which  have  been  carefully  made, 
and  the  results  regularly  recorded. 

The  first  series  of  experiments  to  which  we  shall  allude  were  made 
by  Messrs.  Richmond  Jones,  Jr.,  and  Charles  S.  Homer,  Jr.,  of  the 
Lawrence  Scientific  School,  Harvard  University;  these  gentlemen 
having  been  designated  by  Professor  Horsford  and  Eustis  for  the 
purpose.  They  experimented  at  the  Neponset  Mills  in  Canton  with 
and  without  Baker’s  Furnace,  the  experiments  lasting  several  days. 
One  of  them  remained  on  the  spot  during  the  whole  time,  both  day 
and  night,  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any  error.  Every  charge 
of  water  and  of  coal  was  carefully  weighed ;  the  time  at  which  water 
was  iniroduced  to  the  boilers,  or  coal  into  the  furnaces  was  noted 


29 


and  also  the  temperature  of  the  air  in  the  boiler-room,  and  the  length 
of  the  interval  that  doors  were  opened.  The  whole  experiment  was 
conducted  on  the  most  elaborate  scale,  and  the  results  noted  were 
the  greatest  precision  in  complete  tables  which  have  been  published 
or  the  information  of  those  disposed  to  investigate  the  subject. 

The  deductions  derived  from  the  most  elaborate  of  these  experi¬ 
ments  may  be  briefly  summed  up  as  follows  ;  in  the  test  by  the  evap¬ 
oration  of  water,  with  Baker’s  Furnace,  in  the  quantity  of  coal  con¬ 
sumed  during  a  period  of  48  hours  was  equal  to  an  average  of 
50  85-100  pounds  an  hour ;  without  Baker’s  Furnace,  the  quantity 
of  coal  consumed  in  the  same  period  was  equal  to  an  rverage  of 
75  958-1000  pounds  per  hour — the  quantity  of  water  evaporated 
being  very  nearly  the  same.  Advantage  in  favor  of  Baker’s  Fur¬ 
nace,  49  per  cent;  the  ordinary  furnace  requiring  the  consumption  of 
an  increased  quantity  of  coal  in  that  proportion  to  produce  the  same 
result. 

It  should  be  understood  that  by  experiments  made  “with”  and  “with¬ 
out  Baker’s  Furnace,”  we  mean  experiments  all  made  by  the  use  of 
the  same  boiler,  furnace,  grate  and  other  apparatus  of  every  descrip¬ 
tion,  with  the  single  exception  that  those  “  without  Baker’s  Furnace” 
were  made  with  a  furnace  constructed  in  the  ordinary  way,  as  the 
same  had  been  in  use  for  the  work  of  the  mill  ;  while  those  with 
Baker’s  Furnace’’  were  made  after  the  same  furnace  and  boiler  had 
been  fitted  up  by  the  insertion  therein  of  the  inverted  arches,  de¬ 
scribed  in  Baker’s  patent,  without  any  other  change  whatever,  and 
without  the  tube  for  feeding  the  fire  with  warm  air,  which  is  an  im¬ 
provement  since  added  by  Mr.  Amory. 

The  saving  of  fuel  in  the  proportion  of  49  per  cent,  is  certainly  a 
consideration  worthy  the  attention  of  every  establishment  where  a 
considerable  expense  is  incurred  for  coal.  In  this  connexion  we  pre¬ 
sent  the  following  letter  from  Noah  Butts,  Esq.,  Engineer  at  the 
Navy  Yard,  Charlestown,  where  there  are  twelve  boilers  set  writh 
Baker’s  Furnaces,  to  each  of  which  boilers  Mr.  Butts  says  five  hun¬ 
dred  pounds  of  coal  are  fed  per  day.  By  tl  e  above  figures,  it  ap¬ 
pears  that  seven  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  would  be  required  to  do 
the  same  work  without  Baker’s  Furnaces.  The  saving  in  a  year  is 
thus  shown  to  be  a  very  handsome  sum. 


80 


The  following  is  Mr.  Butts’  letter: — 

J.  Amory,  Esq.,  Dear  Sir — We  have  12  boilers  set  on  your  plan 
at  the  Boston  Navy  Yard  with  Baker’s  furnace  ;  and  they  continue 
to  give  satisfaction,  burning,  say  500  lbs.  of  coal  to  each  boiler.  At 
this  rate  we  have  saved  a  great  deal  of  coal,  some  hundreds  of  tons 
each  year.  It  is  the  more  remarkable,  as  our  boilers  were  as  well 
set  as  any  stationary  boilers  before  your  plans  were  introduced. 

Noah  Butts,  Engineer. 

Navy  Yard,  Aug,  13,  1855. 

We  shall  next  allude  to  the  Report  upon  Baker’s  Furnaces,  made 
in  England  by  a  most  eminent  engineer,  Thomas  Wicksteed,  honora¬ 
ry  member  of  the  Royal  Cornwall  Polytechnic  Society,  than  whom 
no  higher  authority  can  be  cited  on  a  question  of  this  sort.  He  had 
of  course  no  prepossessions  in  favor  of  the  American  invention.  He 
made  his  experiments  with  the  greatest  care,  comparing  Baker’s  Fur¬ 
nace  with  some  improved  furnaces,  by  which  a  great  saving  over  the 
ordinary  furnaces  was  already  gained  ;  so  that  Mr.  Wicksteed,  with 
great  fairness,  before  undertaking  the  experiment,  told  the  agent  that 
“  he  must  not  expect  the  saving,  if  any,  to  be  at  all  equal  to  that 
obtained  by  the  introduction  of  the  new  (Baker’s)  Furnace  into 
works  of  the  ordinary  construction.”  This  we  quote  from  Mr. 
Wicksteed’s  own  report.  The  experiment  was  made  with  the  poor¬ 
est  quality  of  bituminous  coal. 

Mr.  Wicksteed’s  experiment  with  Baker’s  Furnace  lasted  108  hours; 
with  the  other  improved  furnace  207  hours.  Baker’s  Furnaae  in  108 
hours  consumed  31,651  pounds  of  coal  ;  the  other  furnace  in  207 
hours  consumed  64,940  pounds  of  coal. 

The  weight  of  coal  consumed  per  hour  by  Baker’s  Furnace  was 
293  pounds;  by  the  other  furnace,  313  pounds.  Advantage  in  favor 
of  Baker’s  Furnace,  7  per  cent. 

With  Baker’s  Furnace,  8  640-1000  pounds  of  water  were  evapora¬ 
ted  from  boiling  point  for  every  pound  of  coal  consumed  ;  with  the 
other  furnace,  7  725-1000  pounds.  Advantage  in  favor  of  Baker’s 
Fu  rnace,  12  per  cent.  Or  in  the  usual  mode  of  computation,  the  rate 
of  saving  of  coal  by  the  use  of  Baker’s  Furnace,  was  14  2-10  per 
cent,  on  the  quantity  used. 

With  Baker’s  Furnace,  9  273-1000  pounds  of  water  were  evapora¬ 
ted  from  boiling  point  for  every  pound  of  fuel  actually  consumed  ; 
this  result  being  obtained  by  deducting  from  the  weight  of  the  coal 
fed  to  the  furnaces,  the  weight  of  the  clinkers  and  ashes  remaining 


31 


unconsumed;  with  the  other  furnace,  in  the  same  way,  8  217-1000 
pounds  of  water  were  evaporated.  Advantage  in  favor  of  Baker’s 
Furnace,  12  3-10  per  cent. 

This  percentage  of  saving  in  comparison  with  the  improved  furna¬ 
ces  against  which  Baker’s  Furnace  competed,  seems  to  justify  the  re¬ 
sults  of  the  other  experiments  in  comparison  with  the  ordinary  furna¬ 
ces.  This  is  admitted  by  Mr.  Wicksteed,  who  says,  4‘  I  can  have  no 
hesitation  in  declaring  that  the  saving  of  37  per  cent,  upon  the  aver¬ 
age,  stated  to  have  been  effected  in  the  American  establishments,  has 
been  effected.” 

Mr.  Ericsson,  in  remarking  upon  this  report,  says  of  Mr.  Wick¬ 
steed,  that  “  he  is  a  man  remarkable  for  accuracy  and  system  on  all 
matters  relating  to  engineering  —  so  much  so,  that  on  a  practical  sub¬ 
ject  like  Col.  Baker’s  Furnace,  I  would  submit  to  his  decision  in  pref¬ 
erence  to  that  of  any  other  engineer  in  England .” 

The  New  England  Association  of  Engineers  appointed  as  a  com¬ 
mittee  to  make  experiments  for  testing  Baker’s  Furnace,  Messrs. 
Simeon  Borden,  William  P.  Parrott,  and  Samuel  Nott.  Under  the 
direction  of  these  gentlemen,  two  elaborate  experiments  were  made  at 
the  Linseed  Oil  Mill,  in  East  Boston,  each  of  which  was  continued 
through  forty-eight  successive  hours  ;  one  with  a  furnace  adapted  with 
Baker’s  improvement,  and  the  other  with  the  same  furnace  after  it 
had  been  restored  to  the  original  condition,  as  it  had  been  previously 
in  use  at  those  works.  The  boiler  used  was  a  plain  cylindrical  one, 
such  as  does  not  ordinarily  evaporate  more  than  six  pounds  of  water 
for  one  pound  of  coal,  and  no  alteration  was  made  in  the  setting  of  it, 
other  than  to  insert  the  bridges  or  inverted  arches,  which  constitute 
Baker’s  improvement.  The  same  coal  was  used  in  the  two  experi¬ 
ments  ;  they  wrere  conducted  in  the  same  manner,  the  water  evapora¬ 
ted  and  the  coal  used,  as  also  the  residuum  of  clinker  and  ashes,  being 
carefully  weighed. 

The  result  of  the  two  experiments  was,  that  after  deducting  the  un¬ 
burned  coal,  clinker  and  ashes,  in  order  to  obtain  the  exact  effective 
force  of  the  coal  burned,  with  Baker’s  Furnace,  9  908-1000  pounds 
of  water  were  evaporated  from  boiling  point  for  every  pound  of  coal 
burnt;  while  without  Baker’s  improvement,  7  905-1000  pounds  were 
evaporated.  Advantage  in  favor  of  Baker’s  Furnace,  25  3-10  per 
cent. 

We  have  also  examined  the  notes  of  another  detailed  experiment 
made  by  Messrs.  J.  R.  Hodges  and  E.  N.  Winslow,  at  the  instance 


32 


of  William  P.  Parrott,  Esq.,  in  which  Baker's  Furnace  was  com¬ 
pared  with  a  furnace  set  by  Otis  Tufts.  The  result  was  that  the 
amount  of  water  evaporated  from  boiling  point  for  each  pound  of  fuel 
with  Baker’s  Furnace  was  10  707-1000  pounds ;  with  the  other  fur¬ 
nace,  8  768-1000  pounds.  Advantage  in  favor  of  Baker’s  Furnace? 
22  per  cent. 

An  experiment  reported  by  Mr.  A.  A.  Hayes,  Assayer  to  the  State 
of  Massachusetts,  undertaken  at  the  Flour  Mill  at  East  Boston, 
showed  that  without  Baker’s  Furnace  7  66-100  pounds  of  water  were 
evaporated  by  one  pound  of  coal,  while  with  Baker’s  Furnace  10 
9-10  pounds  appeared  to  be  evaporated,  an  advantage  of  42  per  cent, 
in  favor  of  Baker’s  Furnace.  Dr.  Hayes,  however,  was  inclined  to 
think  that  the  comparison  would  be  more  correct  if  an  allowance  were 
made  by  which  the  quantity  of  water  evaporated  with  Baker’s  Fur¬ 
nace  is  set  down  at  9  6-10  pounds,  showing  an  advantage  in  favor  of 
Baker’s  Furnace  of  25  per  cent.,  and,  as  he  justly  observes,  “placing 
this  form  of  furnace  among  the  most  economical  known.” 

Dr.  Hayes  adds,  “  This  form  of  furnace  permits  the  combustion  of 
bituminous  coal  so  perfectly  that  its  steam-producing  power  comes  to 
be  estimated  as  high  as  that  of  anthracite,  while  a  mixture  of  equal 
parts  of  anthracite  and  bituminous  coals,  gives  a  high  evaporative 
effect.” 

Dr.  Charles  T.  Jackson  certifies  that  he  has  “  entire  confidence  in 
the  correctness”  of  experiments  and  observations  made  at  the  Ports¬ 
mouth  Steam  Cotton  Factory,  by  Mr.  J.  S.  Kendall,  his  assistant,  and 
the  calculations  based  thereon  made  by  Mr.  Joseph  Peabody,  who 
also  studied  with  him.  These  experiments  showed,  as  the  mean  of 
two  trials,  that  with  Baker’s  Furnace,  8  255-1000  pounds  of  water 
were  evaporated  for  every  pound  of  coal  burned,  while  with  the  old 
furnace  6  136-1000  pounds  were  evaporated.  Advantage  in  favor  of 
Baker’s  Furnace,  34  1-2  per  cent.  This  is  the  advantage  as  shown 
by  the  evaporation  of  water.  Mr.  Peabody  adds,  “  the  gain  in  regard 
to  power  must  have  been  greater  than  in  that  by  evaporation  ;  and 
more  than  34  4-10  per  cent,  of  horses’  power  was  obtained  by  the 
new  boilers  (Baker’s  Furnace)  than  with  the  old,  although  from  the 
nature  of  the  trials  it  is  impossible  to  state  exactly  how  much  more.” 

In  noticing  the  results  of  these  experiments  we  have  only  mentioned 
the  decisive  test  of  comparison.  The  results  as  recorded  at  length,  in 
detail,  comprise  a  great  deal  of  interesting  information,  and  the  com¬ 
putations  are  so  fully  given  in  each  case  as  to  make  the  existence  of 

j 


83 


any  error  materially  impairing  the  deduction  in  favor  of  the  new  ar¬ 
rangement,  extremely  improbable,  if  not  impossible. 

There  are  a  number  of  other  authentic  experiments  reported,  less 
elaborately  undertaken  and  with  the  results  stated  in  less  detail.  But 
we  know  of  no  instance  in  which  a  full  and  fair  experiment  has  been 
made  which  has  resulted  adversely  to  Baker’s  Furnace.  In  all  the 
cases  which  have  come  to  our  notice,  in  which  a  less  successful  result 
has  been  reported,  from  the  investigation  which  we  have  been  able  to 
give  to  the  facts,  we  have  satisfied  ourselves  that  the  unfavorable 
result  ought  not  to  be  attributed  to  any  defect  in  the  principle  of  the 
Furnace,  but  to  some  accidental  circumstance.  Such  instances  are 
few,  and  they  do  not  appear  to  us  to  be  supported  by  such  evidence  as 
would  entitle  them  to  weigh  against  the  positive  detailed  testimony 
above  recorded. 

The  results  of  the  particular  experiments  above  described  are  recap¬ 
itulated  in  the  following  table,  showing  the  quantity  of  water  evapo¬ 
rated  for  every  pound  of  coal  burned  : — 


With 

Without 

Advantage 

Baker’s 

Baker’s 

in  favor  of 

furnace. 

furnace. 

Baker’s  F. 

per  cent. 

Lawrence  Scientific  School, . 

....9.179 

6.317 

45.3 

New  England  Engineers, . 

_ 9.908 

7.905 

25.3 

Messrs.  Hodges  &  Winslow, . . 

.  .10.707 

8.768 

22.1 

East  Boston  Flour  Mill, . 

.  .  .10.9 

7.66 

42.3 

Ditto,  with  allowance, . 

. 9.6 

7.66 

25.3 

Portsmouth  Steam  Cotton  Factory,. . 

. 8.255 

6.136 

34.5 

Average . 

....32.5 

This  average,  we  think,  may  safely  be  relied  on.  We  have  not 
included  Mr.  Wicksteed’s  experiment  in  the  table,  because  it  did  not 
furnish  a  comparison  with  furnaces  in  common  use  in  this  country,  but 
with  an  improved  apparatus,  so  that  he  himself,  as  above  quoted,  con¬ 
fidently  expresses  the  opinion  that  an  average  saving  of  37  per  cent, 
has  been  effected  in  American  establishments. 

It  should  be  observed  that  all  of  the  experiments  here  described 
were  made  before  the  addition  of  Mr.  Amory’s  flue  for  feeding  the 
fire  with  warm  air,  an  important  improvement,  which  produces  a  man¬ 
ifest  saving  of  fuel,  the  amount  of  which  has  not  been  tested  by  any 
exact  experiments. 


84 


The  great  economy  of  fuel  which  this  invention  allows  will  doubt¬ 
less  present  its  strongest  claim  for  general  introduction.  It  moreover 
allows  the  use  of  coal  of  all  kinds,  bituminous  as  well  as  anthracite, 
and  of  all  qualities.  And  the  combustion  is  so  perfect  that  no  black 
smoke,  and  scarcely  any  other  escapes,  which  is  a  consideration  of 
great  importance  in  cities  and  crowded  localities. 

We  do  not  undertake,  however,  to  enter  upon  an  argument  in  favor 
of  this  contrivance,  but  simply  to  present  in  a  compact  form  the  results 
of  careful  and  recorded  experiments  from  which  others  can  draw,  &c. 

Nathan  Hale, 

Sam’l  A.  Eliot. 

W.  H.  Swift. 


Boston,  August  17,  1855. 


REPORT  UPON  AN  IMPROVEMENT 


IN 


STEAM  BOILER  FURNACES. 


BY  MESSRS.  RICHMOND  JONES,  JR.,  AND  CHARLES  S.  HOMER, 
JR.,  OF  THE  LAWRENCE  SCIENTIFIC  SCHOOL,  HARVARD 
UNIVERSITY,  CAMBRIDGE,  MASS. 


Having  been  designated  by  Professors  Horsford  and  Eustis,  of  the 
Lawrence  Scientific  School,  Elarvard  University ;  in  compliance  with 
a  request  made  to  them  by  J.  Amory,  Esq.,  to  superintend  some  ex¬ 
periments  for  the  purpose  of  testing  the  comparative  merits  of  Baker’s 
Furnace,  and  the  old  method  ;  we  now  submit  the  following  as  the 
results  of  the  said  experiments  : 

These  experiments  were  made  at  the  Neponset  Mills,  Canton,  Mas¬ 
sachusetts.  The  boilers  used  were  plain  cylindrical,  and  set  as  in  the 
accompanying  diagram.  Only  three  were  used. 

The  first  trial  commenced  on  March  31st,  1853.  On  the  29th,  the 
boilers  had  been  used  in  connection  with  the  engine  all  day.  On  the 
evening  of  the  30th,  fires  were  lighted  again,  and  experiments  com¬ 
menced  the  following  morning.  The  pressure  of  steam  on  the  boilers 
was  raised  to  15  lbs.,  as  indicated  by  a  steam  guage,  and  then  blown 
off ;  the  same  course  being  pursued  in  both  experiments  upon  the 
evaporation  of  water. 

The  method  of  conducting  the  experiments  was  substantially  as 
follows  : — Fires  were  first  lighted  under  all  the  boilers,  the  amount  of 
coal,  kindlings,  &c.,  being  carefully  noted.  After  the  boilers  had 


86 


reached  a  temperature  of  212°,  the  doors  of  ash-pit  and  furnace  con¬ 
nected  with  two  of  them  was  closed  up  entirely  and  continued  so  dur¬ 
ing  the  remainder  of  the  experiment. 

The  water  was  kept  as  nearly  as  possible  at  the  second  guage-cock, 
especially  at  the  commencement  and  close  of  each  experiment.  A 
water-guage  being  attached  to  the  boilers,  the  weight  of  each  charge 
of  water  was  carefully  noted,  and  also  its  temperature,  it  having  to 
pass  through  a  cask  placed  upon  a  scale  before  entering  the  boilers. 
Each  charge  of  coal  was  also  carefully  weighed  before  it  was  allowed 
to  pass  into  the  furnace.  The  time  at  which  water  was  introduced 
into  the  boilers,  or  coal  into  the  furnace,  was  noted,  and  also  the  tem¬ 
perature  of  the  air  in  the  boiler-room  on  those  occasions,  and  the  time 
the  furnace  doors  were  open. 

From  time  to  time  the  temperature  of  the  external  air  was  taken  as 
well  as  that  of  the  chimney.  Unfortunately  we  were  unable  to  deter¬ 
mine  the  latter  except  in  the  first  experiment,  being  unable  to  procure 
thermometors  of  sufficient  range.  At  the  close  of  each  trial  the  waste 
material,  including  ashes,  clinkers,  and  cinders,  or  half-burnt  coal,  was 
carefully  weighed  after  it  had  been  allowed  to  cool.  While  the  steam 
was  blowing  off,  care  was  taken  to  close  the  doors  of  the  ash-pit,  in 
order  to  prevent  useless  expenditure  of  heat. 

After  the  close  of  the  first  experiment,  Professors  Horsford  and 
Eustis  suggested  that  others  should  be  tried  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
comparative  merits  of  the  new  and  old  method  of  setting  Steam  Boil¬ 
ers.  Accordingly  the  latter  were  commenced  on  the  12th  of  April ; 
first,  with  Baker’s  Furnace  in  connection  with  the  Engine.  Fires  were 
then  taken  out,  and  after  the  boilers  were  sufficiently  cool,  the  three 
middle  curves  were  taken  out,  leaving  the  first  and  the  last  bridges 
and  curves.  Then  followed  the  trial  in  connection  with  the  Engine, 
and  afterwards  that  of  the  evaporation  of  water,  the  latter  being  con¬ 
ducted  in  so  far  as  possible  after  the  same  method  as  the  first.  The 
only  departure  was  in  this  ;  that  in  the  latter  everything  had  been  at 
a  high  temperature  for  several  days  previous,  while  in  the  former 
twenty-four  hours  had  intervened  between  the  time  of  clearing  grates, 
and  the  commencement  of  the  experiment. 

In  the  first  trial  with  the  Engine  the  average  pressure  of  steam  in 
boilers  was  60  lbs.;  in  the  last  70  lbs.  It  would  be  well  to  note  that 
in  the  last  trial  with  the  Engine,  the  three  boilers  were  unable  to  sup¬ 
ply  sufficient  steam  to  keep  up  the  speed,  and  it  was  found  necessary 
to  fire  up  the  other  boilers.  Steam  was  let  on  from  the  latter  twice 


37 


during  the  day.  The  first  about  fifteen  minutes  ;  the  last  twenty 
minutes. 

The  coal  used  was  “Forest  Improvement  (Heckshire)  Co.,”  (an¬ 
thracite,)  of  very  uniform  size  ;  average  size  in  the  first  experiment 
about  0.625  lbs.;  in  the  last  0.7  lbs.  Cumberland  coal  (bituminous) 
was  introduced  from  time  to  time  to  test  the  relative  merits  of  the  two 
Furnaces  as  smoke  burners.  Much  less  smoke  passed  off  with  the 
Furnace  than  without.  Allowance  was  made  for  kindlings  as  being 
equivalent  to  half  their  weight  in  coal. 

Annexed  will  be  found  the  “Details”  of  all  the  experiments,  and 
also  a  “Tabular  View”  of  each. 

In  the  trials  with  the  Engine,  in  both  cases,  the  Engine  was  stop¬ 
ped  for  half  an  hour  in  the  morning,  and  three-quarters  of  an  hour  at 
noon.  Without  the  Furnace  the  fires  were  not  so  bright  as  with,  the 
difference  in  this  respect  being  very  marked. 

Signed,  RICHMOND  JONES,  Jr., 

C.  S.  HOMER,  Jr., 

Lawrence  Scientific  School , 


Cambridge,  May  2 d,  1853. 


Evaporation  of  water 


EXPERIMENT  WITH  BAKER’S  FURNACE. 

Details. 


Commencing 
Thursday, 
A.  M.,  March 
31,  1853. 


Time. 

Temp- 

of 

Air. 

Temp. 

of 

Water. 

Water 

added. 

Coal 

added 

Furnace 

doors  open 

Kindlings- 

Remarks. 

h.  m. 

Q 

Q 

lbs. 

lbs. 

m.  s. 

lbs 

a.  m. 

3.35 

64 

338 

48 

4.15 

64 

48 

63 

5.00 

64 

48 

223 

5.50 

.20 

6.05 

67 

47 

119 

6.40 

Temp,  of  chim- 

7.05 

69 

47 

240 

ney  140°. 

7.10 

69 

149 

2.00 

7.30 

.40 

7.45 

68 

.35 

8.00 

1.45 

37 

8.30 

53 

.40 

8.40 

66 

90 

2.40 

10.00 

46 

320 

Chimney  222°. 

10.45 

66 

48 

315 

90 

1.35 

11.35 

69 

47 

505 

12m. 

.50 

p.  m. 

12.25 

69 

.  46 

310 

90 

1.30 

12.45 

Chimney  220°. 

1.00 

2.00 

9 

External  air  68°. 

1.25 

1.00 

18 

1.35 

90 

6.30 

9 

Clearing  grate. 

2.15 

69 

46 

300 

1.00 

2.35 

90 

2.20 

3.00 

1.05 

3.30 

68 

46 

400 

3.45 

22 

2.05 

( 

Coal  here  added 

4.15 

70 

48 

500 

90 

3.45 

was  “  Cumber- 

4.55 

48 

500 

( 

land.” 

4.15 

62 

47 

500 

1.40 

Chimney  170°. 

5.30 

90 

1.30 

6.30 

64 

48 

563 

1.00 

7.25 

48 

619 

90 

4.00 

8.20 

62 

48 

600 

9.15 

61 

49 

619 

1.00 

10.00 

60 

49 

600 

90 

4.00 

10.55 

60 

48 

600 

11.35 

60 

48 

600 

89 


\ 


Commencing 

Friday, 

A.  M.,  April 
1,  1853. 

Time. 

Temp. 

of 

Air. 

Temp. 

of 

Water. 

Water 

added. 

Coal 

added 

Furnace 

doors  open 

Kindlings. 

Kemarks. 

h.  m 

o 

Q 

lbs. 

lbs. 

m.  s. 

lbs 

a.  m. 

12.20 

59 

48 

600 

12.55 

90 

3.45 

1.30 

59 

48 

600 

Chimney  136°. 

2.10 

60 

48 

600 

2.40 

3.00 

68 

48 

600 

4.00 

70 

48 

600 

4.25 

90 

7.40 

Cleaning  grate. 

5.30 

70 

48 

600 

6.15 

Chimney  187°. 

6.50 

71 

48 

600 

90 

3.00 

7.15 

.40 

9.00 

67 

48 

600 

9.55 

68 

48 

500 

90 

3.30 

Ashes  taken  out 

10.45 

47 

500 

161. 

11.25 

90 

2.20 

Chimney  146°. 

11.40 

1.25 

“  C  u  mberlan  d 

12m. 

18 

•  •  •  • 

] 

coal,”  chimney 

12.20 

69 

50 

600 

90 

2.30 

l 

172°. 

2.20 

70 

90 

2.10 

2.55 

66 

52 

600 

Chimney  156°. 

3.20 

3.00 

Ex.  air  43°. 

4.10 

70 

51 

600 

5.05 

70 

46 

600 

1.20 

5.30 

.15 

6.00 

72 

48 

600 

3.40 

7.00 

70 

600 

7.15 

90 

2.40 

8.00 

68 

50 

600 

9.15 

65 

52 

300 

90 

1.45 

9.45 

Chimney  160°. 

10.10 

68 

46 

600 

15 

11.35 

46 

505 

4.35 

11.50 

2.50 

43 

April  2d, 

a.  m. 

a.  m., 

12.10 

90 

.20 

Saturday. 

12.20 

2.05 

12.30 

1.55 

12.45 

3.00 

12.55 

1.40 

1.10 

72 

44 

300 

90 

1.30 

1.55 

46 

600 

2.00 

2.30 

68 

46 

600 

3.00 

68 

47 

600 

3.3C 

68 

46 

600 

1.00 

Ex  air.  26°. 

4.00 

Exper.  closed. 

48.2£ 

'166°  .58 

47°. 68 

22601 

238C 

Reduced  to  coal. 

40 


Experiment  with  Engine  in 

connection  with 

Commencing 

Temp,  of 

Tuesday,  A.  m. 

Time. 

Coal  added. 

Air. 

April  12,  1853. 

h.  m. 

lbs. 

a.  m. 

4  50 

180 

66° 

7  00 

90 

C§  ©  02 

8  00 

90 

*  «  § 

8  40 

150 

r— <  <-d  S 

o  pa 

10  00 

150 

m. 

-4-2  -4-» 

12  00 

150 

02  o 

*g  hh. 

1  15 

150 

^ 173  a 

02  Gh 

1  30 

20  C 

umberl 

ills 

2  30 

150 

•  G  02  rG 

H  *p  £ 

3  05 

150 

5  00  p.  m. 

1280 

69° 

Coal  weighed  but 

not  consum 

ed  122 

Ex.  Air. 


Remarks. 


50° 


and  Co 


49< 


al. 


<u 

CG 

O 


^  . 

Ph  02 

<s  a 

a  .2 

© 

2  Ja 

o  ^ 

o  C+H 

•"G  o 


Experiment  closed  at  5  p.  m.,  having  continued  12  hours. 


TS 

a 

oS 

pH 

o> 

& 

a 

cS 

P 


(/I 

o 

a 


Experiment  with  Engine  and  without  Baker's  Furnace. 


Commencing 

Temp,  of 

Temp. 

Thursday, 

A.  M., 

Time. 

Coal  added. 

Air. 

Ex.  Air. 

April 

14, 

1853. 

02 

O 

A. 

0 

m. 

lbs. 

rG 

fcD 

•  r-H 

5 

30 

150 

®  rH 

02 

'4-2 

5 

40 

75 

62* 

44° 

£ 

w 

Pit 

6 

00 

150 

cfi 
£ 
1— 1 

s 

<D 

rH 

IS 

6 

6 

10 

15 

150 

150 

c3 

o 

*4*0 

o 

6 

20 

150 

g 

s 

9 

00 

140 

02 

hG 

G 

c3 

CJ 

9 

15 

300 

is 

C3 

c3 

a 

11 

00 

300 

80° 

44° 

02 

a 

G 

o 

Ph 

£ 

3 

00  p.  m. 

600 

•  rH 

H 

5 

00 

o 

o 

GO 

o 

GO 

CO 

5 

30 

150 

2315 

6 

45 

Experiment  closed,  hav- 

continued 

13^  hours. 

Remarks. 


m 

Ph 

CD 

fri 


C3 


tffl 

02 


+a  O 
G  Ph 

rQ  •  rH 

-  CO 

<D  O 
co  -*-* 

rS  CM 


O 

t:  £ 

c3 
02 


CO 

Ph 

O 

O 


Ph 

02 

Gh 

o 


Note.  —  At  5.45  a.  m.  pressure  of  steam  got  so  low  that  we  were  obliged  to  stop  the 
engine  till  7  a.  m. ;  when  we  again  started  with  jive  boilers,  shutting  oif  the  steam  from 
two  of  them  in  a  few  moments.  At  8.80  a.  m.  we  were  again  obliged  to  let  on  steam 
from  the  other  two  boilers  to  prevent  diminution  of  speed. 


41 


Commencing 
Thursday, 
April  14, 
1853. 

Time. 

Temp. 

of 

Air, 

Temp. 

of 

Water. 

Water 

added. 

Coal 

added 

Fuanace 

doors  open. 

Kindlings. 

Remarks. 

h.  m. 

Q 

G 

lbs. 

lbs. 

m.  s. 

lbs. 

p.  m. 

150 

Cinders,  or  half 

7.30 

300 

burnt  coal. 

7.40 

89 

150 

.30 

8.25 

84 

.45 

8.30 

83 

52 

600 

9.10 

82 

52 

540 

150 

1.30 

9.45 

52 

500 

10.45 

50 

500 

m. 

12 

77 

50 

500 

150 

1.10 

Friday, 

a.  m. 

a.m.  April 

1.15 

73 

49 

500 

1853. 

2.15 

75 

48 

500 

2.50 

150 

2. 

3.20 

72 

50 

500 

3.55 

150 

1.40 

• 

*h 

CD 

4.20 

68 

49 

500 

ts 

5. 

69 

50 

500 

6. 

68 

50 

620 

Ex.  air  31°. 

^■4— < 

o 

6.55 

70 

49 

500 

p 

o 

8.10 

70 

48 

535 

150 

4.45 

•  pH 

c3 

8.35 

150 

1.35 

o 

8.50 

69 

47 

500 

03 

9.30 

70 

48 

500 

1. 

(3 

10.15 

69 

48 

500 

10.35 

1.25 

10.50 

70 

48 

500 

11.25 

70 

48 

500 

12  m. 

72 

48 

500 

150 

3.25 

12.15 

150 

1.45 

1.05 

70 

49 

515 

1.35 

72 

49 

500 

1.05 

2.20 

50 

500 

Ex.  air  51^. 

3.00 

150 

1.25 

3.20 

71 

50 

500 

4.00 

70 

50 

500 

102 

1.35 

5.25 

67 

50 

500 

5.40 

150 

1.45 

6.30 

71 

50 

500 

7.40 

50 

500 

8.10 

150 

1. 

8.50 

150 

4.50 

10.20 

69 

50 

500 

150 

1.30 

11.55 

68 

50 

500 

150 

1.20 

42 


Commencing 

Saturday, 

A.  if.,  April 
16,  1853. 

Time. 

Temp. 

of 

Air. 

Temp. 

of 

Water. 

Water 

added. 

• 

Coal 

added 

Furnace 

doors  open. 

Kindlings. 

Remarks. 

h.  m. 

0 

Q 

lbs. 

lbs. 

m.  s. 

lbs. 

a.  m. 

1.05 

67 

50 

500 

2.15 

50 

500 

2.40 

150 

2. 

3.25 

67 

50 

500 

4.25 

50 

500 

5.20 

66 

150 

1.40 

Ex.  air  54°. 

5.45 

65 

50 

620 

3.30 

6.50 

69 

51 

500 

7.00 

69 

48 

500 

8.45 

67 

48 

500 

150 

3.00 

9.25 

2.55 

10.25 

69 

49 

500 

150 

1.20 

11.25 

68 

48 

500 

p.  m. 

12.30 

67 

49 

500 

2.55 

1.20 

71 

50 

600 

150 

.05 

2.00 

Ex.  air  55°. 

2.45 

72 

50 

500 

3.20 

74 

50 

500 

150 

1.45 

4.15 

73 

51 

500 

( 

Cumberland 

4.30 

19 

.35 

coal  here 

l 

added 

6.00 

73 

50 

500 

Ex.  air  42®. 

7.30 

Experi 

ment  cl 

osed  h 

avi’g 

con 

tinne 

d  48  hours. 

48.00 

71.07 

49.51 

23030 

3571 

75 

Reduc’d  to  coal 

43 


EVAPORATION  OF  WATER. 

Experiment  with  Baker's  Furnace. —  Commencing  Thursday , 
March  31  st,  1853 — Nesponset  Mills ,  Canton ,  Mass.- — 

Tabular  View. 


Water  evaporated —  -  -  -  -  22601  lbs. 

Coal  passed  into  Furnace —  -  2462 

Clinkers,  111  lbs. — Ashes  302  do — cinders,  or  coal  remaining 
in  Furnace,  448  do — Total  weight  of  waste  material —  861 

Pure  carbon  consumed —  -  1601 

Water  evaporated  to  a  pound  of  Coal —  -  -  9.179 

Water  evaporated  to  a  pound  of  carbon — -  -  -  14.116 

“  “  “  of  coal  from  212°  (latent  heat  1000°)  10.684 

u  “  “  carbon  from  212°  “  16.431 

Coal  used  per  hour —  -  50.85 

Coal  used  per  hour  per  sq.  ft.  of  grate  surface —  -  2.38 

Coal  used  per  sq.  ft.  of  effective  boiler  surface  per  hour — 0.1695 
Kindlings  reduced  to  coal —  -  82 

Mean  temperature  of  air —  -  66°. 58 

Mean  temperature  of  water —  -  47°. 68 

Duration  of  experiment —  -  48h.  25m » 


Experiment  without  Baker's  Furnace. —  Commencing  Thurs¬ 
day,  April  14  th,  1853. 


Water  evaporated —  - 

Coal  passed  into  furnace —  - 

Clinkers,  158. — Ashes,  168. — -Cinders,  320  lbs. 
Total  weight  of  waste  material — 

Pure  carbon  consumed —  - 


33030  lbs* 
3646 

646 

3000 


Tabular  View. 

Water  evaporated  to  a  pound  of  coal —  -  6.317  lbs» 

Water  evaporated  per  pound  of  carbon —  -  7.676 

“  “  “  of  coal  from  212°  (latent  heat  1000°)  7.340 

“  “  “  of  carbon  from  21 2Q —  -  -  8.619 

Coal  used  per  hour —  -  75-958 

Coal  used  per  sq.  ft.  of  grate  surface  per  hour—  -  -  309 

Coal  used  per  sq.  ft.  of  effective  boiler  surface  per  hour —  0.253 


44 


Kindlings  reduced  to  coal — 
Mean  temperature  of  air — 
Mean  temperature  of  water — 
Duration  of  experiment — 


75 
71°.07 
49°. 51 
48  hours. 


Trial  with  Baker's  Furnace  in  connection  with  the  Engine. — 
Commencing  Tuesday  A.  M.,  April  12th,  1853. 


Total  weight  of  coal  consumed —  -  1158  lbs. 

Clinkers,  174  lbs.  Ashes,  134  lbs. — waste  material —  304 

Coal  consumed  per  hour —  -  96.5 

Coal  consumed  per  hour  per  Horse  Power —  -  -  2.193 

Duration  of  experiment —  -  -  -  -  -  12  hours. 

Engine  doing  work  equivalent  to  44  Horse  power. 


Trial  without  Baker's  Furnace  in  connection  with  the  Engine 
Commencing  Thursday  A.  M .,  April  11th,  1853. 


Total  weight  of  coal  consumed —  -  2315  lbs. 

Clinkers,  192  lbs.  Ashes,  65  lbs.  Cinders,  including  150  lbs. 

left  in  F urnace  to  rekindle  fires  for  next  experiment, —  338 

Total  waste  material — . 595 

Tabular  View. 

Coal  consumed  per  hour . 174.716  lbs. 

Coal  consumed  per  Horse  Power  per  hour  -  3.97 

Duration  of  experiment . 13h.  25m. 

Engine  doing  work  equal  to  44  Horse  Power,  13  J  hours. 


Data  in  reference  to  Boilers,  Furnace  and  Engine.  Boilers,  five  in 
number,  were  set  as  in  the  accompanying  Diagram;  of  these  three 
only  were  used.  Length  30  ft.  Diameter  2  ft.  Arc  of  boiler  sur¬ 
face  exposed  to  action  of  fire  3’. 4  in. 

Area  of  boiler  surface  exposed  to  action  of  fire 
Area  of  ash  pit  doors  1.979  ft.  each.  All  three 
Area  of  surface  doors  1.277  sq.  ft.  each,  All  three 
Area  of  grate  surface,  (bars  3  ft  in  length 
Cubical  contents  of  ash  pit 

Engine  used  in  connection  with  boilers*  of  Corliss  &  Nightingale’s 
manufacture.  Nominal  power  equivalent  to  50  Horse  Power.  Vari¬ 
able  “  cut  off.” 


300  sq.  ft. 
5.937  sq.  ft. 
3.831  sq.  ft. 
21.326 
34.172  cu.  ft. 


45 


Diameter  of  cylinder  -  -  -  -  -  -  14  inches. 

Length  of  stroke  -  -  -  -  -  -  4  ft. 

Regular  speed  44  revolutions  per  minute. 

During  experiments  attached  to  232  Looms. 

One  of  us  being  on  the  spot  both  day  and  night,  we  believe  there 
can  be  no  possibility  of  error  in  our  Notes  from  which  the  above  re¬ 
sults  were  taken. 

RICHMOND  JONES,  Jr. 

C.  S.  HOMER,  Jr. 

Messrs.  Jones  and  Homer  have  been  designated  from  the  Depart¬ 
ments  of  Engineering  and  Chemistry  in  the  Scientific  School  of  Har¬ 
vard  University,  to  make  the  experiments  above  detailed. 

Their  record  bears  intrinsic  evidence  of  the  care  and  fidelity  with 
which  the  experiments  have  been  conducted ;  and  although  a  result 
so  surprising  will  be  received  with  caution,  still  with  considerable  al¬ 
lowance  for  possible  error,  it  may  be  safely  said,  that  it  shows  the  de¬ 
cided  superiority  of  Baker’s  F urnace  as  applied  to  long  plain  cylin¬ 
drical  boilers  over  any  with  which  experiments  have  been  made  and 
recorded,  where  the  end  to  be  gained  was  the  evaporation  of  the 
largest  quantity  of  water  with  a  given  weight  of  fuel. 

Signed  E.  N.  HORSFORD, 

Rumford  Professor ,  Harvard  University. 

Cambridge,  May  2d,  1853. 


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